ena-STUDY-NIOO-KNAW-06-10-2020-09:01:32:157-114
Bacterial and fungal communities involved during the decomposition of insect waste-streams in agricultural soil
In this study, we followed the shifts in bacterial and fungal community structure following the amendment of insect waste-streams in agricultural soil. Moulting skin ('exuviae') and excrement ('frass') of mealworm, black soldier fly, and house cricket were mixed with soil at a rate of 1% dry weight and incubated in controlled conditions. Soil samples were collected after 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks. DNA extraction was performed and the samples were subjected for ITS and 16S amplicon sequencing. Similar experiment was conducted using gamma-sterilized insect waste-streams under shorter incubation time (2-8 weeks), in order to determine the influence of microbes already present in insect waste-streams on soil microbial community.
In this study, we followed the shifts in bacterial and fungal community structure following the amendment of insect waste-streams in agricultural soil. Moulting skin ('exuviae') and excrement ('frass') of mealworm, black soldier fly, and house cricket were mixed with soil at a rate of 1% dry weight and incubated in controlled conditions. Soil samples were collected after 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks. DNA extraction was performed and the samples were subjected for ITS and 16S amplicon sequencing. Similar experiment was conducted using gamma-sterilized insect waste-streams under shorter incubation time (2-8 weeks), in order to determine the influence of microbes already present in insect waste-streams on soil microbial community.