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Abstract

This study evaluated the potential of red clover as a sole diet for house crickets (Acheta domesticus, AD) and the effect of ensiling or drying red clover biomass on growth, survival and water consumption of AD. Wild AD were caught near Uppsala, Sweden, and reared in a climate-controlled room under a 12-h light regime. One day-old third-generation cricket nymphs (n=2,880) were used in a 56-day feeding trial. The experimental diets (n=8) were early-cut (pre-bloom) and late-cut (late-bloom) red clover, preserved as frozen-fresh, dry-silage, haylage and hay, and a control diet. All clover diets were fed as sole diets with salt block available ad libitum in every treatment. Feed dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio ( FCR, kg feed dry matter per kg weight gain), number and weight of crickets and water consumption were recorded every five days. FCR was higher for late-cut than early cut-red clover, but overall cricket weight and survival rate did not differ between cutting times (P=0.939). FCR, weight and survival were not affected by forage conservation method. Total feed consumption was highest for red clover hay. Crickets fed red clover diets had lower (P

Keywords

edible insects; water intake; forages; insect nutrition; flowering crop

Published in

Journal of insects as food and feed
2020, volume: 6, number: 2, pages: 179-189
Publisher: WAGENINGEN ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Ecology
Animal and Dairy Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2019.0038

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/105320