Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
(N/A)
FAYETTEVILLE,AR 72703
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Synthetic amino acids are generally prohibited in certified organic poultry production. Methionine is the only synthetic amino acid allowed in organic poultry feed (until the next sunset review in 2026) at restricted levels in organic poultry diets due to its high biological requirement. Finding a natural, cost-effective source of methionine has been a high priority for organic farmers. Harvested insects are low-cost, readily available protein source rich in methionine. However, a comprehensive assessment of the potential of harvested insects as an organic protein/methionine source has not been investigated. In addition to harvested insects, we will also evaluate commercially raised crickets, which preliminary data showed both to have immense potential as sustainable sources of methionine for organic poultry diets. Our objectives are: 1) Collect and prepare insect meal from wild harvested insects and perform microbiological safety and nutrient analysis of the meal to formulate broiler rations 2) Evaluate growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens fed with insect-based diets 3) Conduct an economic analysis to evaluate the feasibility of insect meals as a viable source of methionine 4) Conduct on-farm testing for ascertaining the effectiveness of treatments in organic poultry production systems. Project aligns with the goals of ORG-FY 2024, Priority 3: Develop cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from NOP's National List of Allowed and Prohibited substances. Educational and extension activities to disseminate results and strategies for organic producers will be conducted through train the trainer programs, electronic and printed material, and workshops.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this proposal is to provide a natural and sustainable source of methionine and minimize the impact of dietary supplementation of synthetic methionine in organic poultry production. Our overall goal is to evaluate the potential of insect meals as a natural source of methionine, while assisting organic poultry producers to comply with the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP, 2022).Specific research objectives are 1) Collect and prepare insect meal from wild-harvested insects and perform microbiological safety and nutrient analysis of the meal to formulate broiler rations that optimize methionine levels. 2) Evaluate growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens fed with insect-based meals compared to those fed synthetic methionine. 3) Conduct economic analysis to evaluate the feasibility of insect meals as a viable source of methionine in organic poultry diets. 4) Conduct on-farm testing to ascertain the effectiveness of treatments in organic poultry production systems.The project results and information on organic poultry production will be disseminated to the organic and sustainable agriculture communities by an extension team comprised of experienced poultry specialists and stakeholders who have been involved in organic poultry production. The outreach/extension objectives of this proposal are1) Disseminate results of the project to the organic poultry community, through a multitude of delivery methods including conferences, electronic and printed materials, and training activities in a research and teaching oriented organic poultry facility; 2) Conduct train the trainer programs for extension specialists and other interested stakeholders on project objectives, results and applications.
Project Methods
The first objective of this project is to collect and prepare insect meal from wild-harvested insects and perform microbiological safety and nutrient analysis of the meal to formulate broiler rations that optimize methionine level.As part of this objective, we will develop novel traps that provide farmers with an economical way to collect supplemental protein sources from their animal and agricultural farms. The traps will be deployed at multiple locations to collect houseflies from poultry farms. The harvested flies will be collected and processed to obtain dried insect meals. The dried insect meal will be screened for the presence of selected poultry and human pathogens, includingSalmonellasp.,Listeria monocytogenes, andCampylobacter jejuni, using standard culture and PCR-based detection methods to ensure the safety of inclusion of insect meals in poultry rations. We will conduct nutrient analysis of dried insect meals to determine true metabolizable energy (TMEn) and digestible amino acids of insect meal and formulate rations for broiler chickens.As part of the second objective, we will conduct feed trials to evaluate growth parameters and feed efficiency in broiler chickens fed an insect-based meal compared to those fed synthetic methionine. We will also determine the post-harvest meat quality and conduct sensory studies to evaluate the consumer acceptability of meat from broilers fed with natural and sustainable sources of methionine in comparison to broiler chickens fed with conventional diets.We will utilize the data from the aforementioned studies to determine the most effective treatments, and we will conduct on-farm testing of the effectiveness of treatments in organic poultry farms.We will disseminate the results of the project to the organic poultry community through numerous delivery methods, including conferences, electronic and printed materials, and training activities in a research and teaching-oriented organic poultry facility. Educational and extension activities will be continued through our train-the-trainer programs for extension specialists and other interested stakeholders.