HAVANA, Jan 19 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Cuban researchers are testing for the first time in Cuba the benefits of the black soldier fly, a biological controller of the common fly and an ally to reduce agricultural waste.
The project, entitled “Technology for the breeding of the black soldier fly and the use of its by-products in the agricultural sector,” started the field phase in La Candelaria farm, in Ciego de Avila province, with 100 hectares of custard apple, cherry, guava, peach, avocado, tangerine, mango, soursop, cashew apple, lemon, mamey, and papaya crops, Granma newspaper reported.
Miguel Angel Iparraguirre, an agronomic engineer specializing in health plants, said that the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) could become a national reference for the circular economy, using science and technology to develop sustainable agroecological plantations economically.
Efforts focus on the fly’s intensive breeding, which feeds on the mini-industry’s waste, rotten fruit, and canteen waste. It is a pollinating insect and biological controller of the common fly.
The black soldier fly has gained popularity globally because its larvae recycle several organic substrates, including manure, food, and crop waste. Its nutrients can feed pigs, poultry, and fish. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
