Crickets become a solution for agriculture

The results obtained from the project developed by the Agroentool operational group indicate that insects can contribute to the use of plant residues and to the production of biological formulations based on Chitosan.

Is it possible to breed insects on a large scale as a tool for the manufacture of agricultural inputs? What advantages does it offer? These are some of the questions addressed this week by the experts forming the Operational Group “Agroentool” during the presentation of the results of the research carried out over the last two years.

Insects as a biotechnological tool for the development of compounds of agricultural interest (Agroentool) is the title of this research project in which ASAJA, Tecnova, Entonova, Zenagro and the University of Almería have participated. The project forms part of the call for support aimed at the operation of Operational Groups of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) for agricultural productivity and sustainability, intended for pilot projects and the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies in the agricultural, food and forestry sectors within the Andalusia Rural Development Programme 2014–2020.

In this regard, the results presented by the work carried out by Entonova and the University of Almería highlight that the large-scale production of insects such as crickets is more economical and sustainable than other types of animal production, “notably because it requires less water”, as stated by Agnes Timea, collaborator in the Department of Biology and Geology at the University of Almería.

Another noteworthy aspect is the use in their diet of plant residues from greenhouse horticultural farms in a high proportion, achieving similar results in terms of growth and chitin value compared with crickets fed with conventional feed. This allows them to play an important role in the reuse of these residues and fully enter the circular economy.

Since the ultimate goal is the creation of a product applicable in the field, the next key step was to design the process for extracting the chitin present in the exoskeletons of crickets in order to transform it into chitosan and later into chitosan hydrochloride, “which is the basis of this Agroentool formulation currently being applied through experimental trials in cucumber crops and which constitutes the final product of the project”, explained Ana Lucía Pérez, technician at the Biotechnology and Bioprocess Department of Tecnova, responsible for these transformation processes and field trials together with Zenagro.

José Antonio Mora, head of the technical department, highlighted the “positive effects observed in plants, since chitosan stimulates the plant’s natural defence mechanisms and also has antifungal effects”. It is a biological tool that contributes to the objective of zero residue throughout all stages of production.

Adoración Blanque, President of ASAJA-Almería, emphasised that “it is essential to bring farmers closer to the results of all the research that is being carried out. Therefore, projects such as Agroentool, which have a strong practical focus and clear market application, are particularly interesting because they incorporate concepts linked to cost savings, zero residue and the circular economy”.

Innovation, sustainability and the circular economy are some of the key aspects of this project, whose objective is to provide farmers with a tool — a plant biostimulant created from chitosan obtained through the extraction of chitin from crickets (A. domesticus and G. assimilis), which were the selected insect species.