Insect Trash Could Be a Farmer’s Treasure
The New York Times
Insect feces and exoskeletons can make agriculture more sustainable and produce less waste, scientists say.
Insects excrete, just as we do, but their feces have a more pleasing name: frass. Unlike us, insects molt as they grow up, producing a series of crinkly silhouettes of their outgrown exoskeletons, also called exuviae.
This waste may be great news for plants. Exuviae and frass contain polymers and nutrients that promote plant growth when mixed into soil.
In an opinion paper published on Wednesday in the journal Trends in Plant Science, several scientists argue that this kind of insect residue should be used to grow sustainable crops. Insects are increasingly being farmed for food (for humans) or feed (for animals), producing a growing amount of waste. The scientists propose collecting this waste and mixing it into soil in order to stimulate microbes that promote plant growth. Then, the farmed insects would feed on organic waste from crop production, creating a circular food system.