Project description
Commercial insect production for food or feed offers a sustainable solution to mitigate the food crisis with the increasing world population. However, to optimize insect production, the large and yet unexploited breeding potential should be utilized. The aim of FLYBREED is to set up a breeding program for a commercial production of black soldier flies (BSF) and access their potential in utilizing waste- and by-products. To develop a breeding program for BSF we will define breeding goals, exploit available mating systems for the species, and estimate genetic parameters for traits of economic importance. Based on this information we will use stochastic simulation software to evaluate different breeding scenarios. Further, we will set up experimental populations of BSF with different low value waste products, and perform selection experiments to determine the breeding potential for exploiting these products. The outcome will be: a) A sustainable breeding program for the insect industry enabling insect companies to maintain their own breeding population and increase genetic gain for the traits of interest, while controlling rates of inbreeding. b) The foundation for a scientific and world leading breeding program that can be continued and expanded after this project has ended. c) An assessment of the potential of using BSF breeding to turn unutilized waste product of low value into valuable protein.
