Background Food Safety and Bacteriological Considerations Dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae contain 42% protein and 35% fat (Newton et al. 1977). Live prepupae are 44% dm and are easily dried for long term storage. As a component of a complete diet they have been found to support good growth of chicks (Hale 1973), swine (Newton 1977), rainbow trout (StHilaire et al. 2007)) and catfish (Newton et al. 2004). Peer reviewed studies show that prepupae meal can replace at least 25% of the fish meal in a diet with no reduction in gain or feed conversion ratio (FCR) in rainbow trout (St-Hilaire et al. 2007a) or channel catfish (Newton et al. 2004). Separation of the prepupae fat and protein would allow for formulation of more balanced diets and produce a meal with over 60% protein. Removal of the chitin would further enhance the protein content and enhance digestibility as well as produce another valuable product. Blind taste tests with tilapia and channel catfish fed diets containing Hermetia larvae indicated no significant difference between those diets and commercial diets (Bondari & Sheppard. 1981). Food safety and bacteriological considerations in using manure fed Hermetia prepupae are favorable. Hermetia larval activity significantly reduced E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in hen manure (Erickson et al. 2004). There is a substantial body of scientific literature on using various fly larvae (face fly, house fly, blow flies and the black soldier fly), reared in animal manure as animal feed. Researchers in China, the USSR, the USA, Mexico, and Eastern Europe have fed these to poultry, swine, shrimp, several species of fish, turtles and frogs; with no reported health problems. Researchers in Chile have studied value recovery from swine manure producing house flies as a feedstuff. They reported finding antimicrobial factors in the house fly larvae. These natural antibiotics may reduce the chance of the feedstuff transmitting pathogens, and actually improve animal health, while reducing pathogen content in the digested manure that may be used to fertilize food crops.

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fingerlings were fed for 28 wk in aquaria (28 ± 1 °C) on semipurified diets with supplemental myo-inositol (400 mg∙kg diet−1), without myo-inositol, and without myo-inositol but with succinylsulfathiazole to suppress intestinal bacteria synthesis. Omission of myo-inositol from the diet, with or without the antibiotic, did not reduce growth rate, produce overt signs of myo-inositol deficiency, or cause a decrease in tissue (muscle, liver, and brain) concentration of myo-inositol. No lipid accumulation occurred in liver or kidney when myoinositol was deleted from the diet. The only possible lipotropic effect of myo-inositol deficiency was a slightly higher (P < 0.07) amount of lipid in brain tissue. Myo-inositol synthesis by enzymes in liver and brain tissues was not affected by myo-inositol in the diet. Rates of myo-inositol synthesis were 39.8 and 67.3 μmol∙h−1∙g protein−1 for liver and brain, which are higher than synthesis rates reported in rodents (myo-inositol synthesis has not been measured in other fish). This study showed that de novo synthesis of myo-inositol by fingerling channel catfish was sufficient for normal growth and maintenance of tissue levels of myo-inositol and to prevent overt signs of myo-inositol deficiency when the vitamin was not included in the diet.

SUMMARY Increases in yield and/or digestibility of a cool season perennial and a cool season annual grass have been reported, at other locations, in response to salt addition. Trials were conducted to determine if the response of warm season perennial grass was similar to that reported for cool season grass, and to investigate the possibility of using bermudagrass vegetated filters to renovate saltwater shrimp pond water. Thirty small plots were used to investigate the growth and composition response, and thus also tolerance, of the plants to the application of common salt (NaCl). The plots were on a hybrid bermudagrass sod, and were also overseeded with rye and clover during winter. Salt was applied either once per year or once per week in amounts that provided from 0 to 25 Mg/ha/yr for 2 yr. Bermudagrass dry matter yield responses ranged from essentially no change to a 28% increase for the various salt additions. Rye/clover dry matter yield responses ranged from a 26% decrease to a 35% increase. The greatest bermudagrass yield response resulted from the application of 3,284 kg NaCl/ha once per yr, while the rye/clover response was greatest for the application of 508 kg NaCl/ha once per week (25,405 kg/ha/yr). Dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was not different except for one small increase and one small decrease for rye/clover associated with the lesser salt additions. The potential for salt fertilization to increase forage yields without increasing fertilizer or water applications is worthy of additional study. It appears that vegetated filters could be used to renovate saltwater shrimp pond water, and if saltwater applications were spread throughout the year, bermudagrass would likely grow more vigorously than without saltwater.