Sains Malaysiana 52(3)(2023): 771-782

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5203-07

 

Importance of High Crude Fibre Insect Frass For Effective Alleviation of Ammonium (NH₄⁺) Toxicity and Optimal Growth of the Short-Term Vegetable, Amaranthus tricolor 

(Kepentingan Fras Serangga Bergentian Kasar Tinggi untuk Pengurangan Berkesan Ketoksikan Amonium (NH₄⁺) dan Pertumbuhan Optimum Sayur Jangka Pendek, Amaranthus tricolor)

 

DAHLIA SHAHBUDDIN¹, ANSARUDDIN OTHMAN² & AHMAD BUKHARY AHMAD KHAIR^1,*

 

¹School of Biological Sciences, G08 Building, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Penang, Malaysia

²Al Ansar Integrated Pvt. Ltd. No. 3087, MK 12 Lahar Tambun, 13300 Tasek Gelugor, North Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia

 

Received: 10 August 2022/Accepted: 3 February 2023

 

Abstract

This study focused on the efficacy of the fecal matter component from insect-derived frass containing high total crude fibre (TCF) for the effective alleviation of ammonium (NH₄⁺) toxicity in short-term vegetables. Two types of insect-derived frass, bred from different feeding substrates, the black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, Hermetia illucens, known as the BSF frass (BSFF), and the common house cricket (CHC), Acheta domesticus, of both adults and nymphal instars, known as CHC frass (CHCF). The short-term vegetable, Amaranthus tricolor, was chosen as the test crop. A total of 200 A. tricolor vegetable seedlings were tested, with five experimental replicates, each with 10 A. tricolor seedlings set following completely randomized design, each for the different fertilizer treatments, BSFF fertilizer, CHCF fertilizer, NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer as the positive control, and no fertilizer as the negative control, pre-prepared in the form of soil–fertilizer mixtures, applied following the rate of 120 kg N ha⁻¹. Comparatively, BSFF fecal matter component recorded lower rates of decomposition of total organic matter (TOM), total organic carbon (TOC), and organic nitrogen (ON) but with a higher rate of TCF decomposition, contrary to CHCF with higher rates of decomposition of TOM, TOC, ON, and a lower rate of TCF decomposition. Additionally, the rates of ON decomposition to NH₄⁺ and NH₄⁺ uptake were lower for BSFF compared to CHCF. The ratio rates of TOM-TCF (22:31), TOM-ON (22:02), TOC-TCF (30:31), and TOC-ON (30:02) for BSFF recorded the highest difference, compared to CHCF with a lower difference of ratio rates; TOM-TCF (36:21), TOM-ON (36:13), TOC-TCF (38:21), and TOC-ON (38:13). The alleviation of NH₄⁺ toxicity for short-term vegetables with high sensitivity toward excessive NH₄⁺ uptake could only be effectively alleviated with high TCF fecal matter component of the frass, increasing decomposition toward the TCF element and reduced decomposition on the organic N element of the frass’ fecal matter.

 

Keywords: Acheta domesticus; ammonium toxicity; crude fibre; Hermetia illucens; organic fertilizer

 

Abstrak

Kajian ini memberi tumpuan kepada keberkesanan komponen bahan tahi daripada fras terbitan serangga yang mengandungi jumlah gentian kasar tinggi (TCF) untuk mengurangkan ketoksikan ammonium (NH4+) yang berkesan pada sayuran jangka pendek. Dua jenis fras terbitan serangga, dibiakkan daripada substrat pemakanan yang berbeza, larva lalat askar hitam (BSF), Hermetia illucens, dikenali sebagai BSF fras (BSFF), dan cengkerik rumah biasa (CHC), Acheta domesticus, kedua-dua dewasa dan instar nimfa, dikenali sebagai CHC fras (CHCF). Sayuran jangka pendek, Amaranthus tricolor dipilih sebagai tanaman ujian. Sebanyak 200 anak benih sayur A. tricolor telah diuji, dengan lima ulangan uji kaji, setiap satu dengan 10 anak benih A. tricolor ditetapkan mengikut reka bentuk rawak sepenuhnya, setiap satu untuk rawatan baja yang berbeza, baja BSFF, baja CHCF, baja NPK 15:15:15 sebagai kawalan positif dan tiada baja sebagai kawalan negatif, yang disediakan terlebih dahulu dalam bentuk campuran tanah-baja, digunakan mengikut kadar 120 kg N ha⁻¹. Secara perbandingan, komponen bahan tahi BSFF merekodkan kadar penguraian jumlah bahan organik (TOM), jumlah karbon organik (TOC) dan nitrogen organik (ON) yang lebih rendah tetapi dengan kadar penguraian TCF yang lebih tinggi, bertentangan dengan CHCF dengan kadar penguraian yang lebih tinggi. TOM, TOC, ON dan kadar penguraian TCF yang lebih rendah. Selain itu, kadar penguraian ON kepada pengambilan NH₄⁺ dan NH₄⁺ adalah lebih rendah untuk BSFF berbanding CHCF. Kadar nisbah TOM-TCF (22:31), TOM-ON (22:02), TOC-TCF (30:31) dan TOC-ON (30:02) untuk BSFF mencatatkan perbezaan tertinggi, berbanding CHCF dengan perbezaan kadar nisbah yang lebih rendah; TOM-TCF (36:21), TOM-ON (36:13), TOC-TCF (38:21) dan TOC-ON (38:13). Pengurangan ketoksikan NH₄⁺ untuk sayuran jangka pendek dengan kepekaan yang tinggi terhadap pengambilan NH₄⁺ yang berlebihan hanya boleh dikurangkan dengan berkesan dengan komponen bahan tahi TCF yang tinggi dalam fras, meningkatkan penguraian ke arah unsur TCF dan mengurangkan penguraian pada unsur N organik fras tahi.

 

Kata kunci: Acheta domesticus; baja organik; gentian kasar; Hermetia illucens; ketoksikan amonium

 

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^*Corresponding author; email: abukhary@usm.my