Biometric, chemical, and microbiological evaluation of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings fertilized with mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) larvae meal

Abstract Alternative organic fertilizers are being developed to minimize the adverse environmental impact of chemical plant protection agents. The interest in industrial-scale insect farming has increased in recent years. Mealworm larvae are a rich source of protein and fatty acids. This study focuses on mealworm larvae, which are characterized by a rapid increase in biomass and a high nutritional value. In the present experiment, mealworm larvae were processed into fertilizer with a high content of organic nitrogen. The fertilizer's effect on wheat growth, soil and rhizosphere microorganisms, including phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Fusarium, and N-cycle, was analyzed. Mineral nitrogen fertilizer and mealworm larvae meal used as fertilizer caused a similar increase (~40%) in the total nitrogen content of the soil. Due to its mineral content, mealworm larvae meal contributed to an increase in the concentrations of P, K, and Mg in soil. The amino acid quality was high (0.89). Increasing the load of Bacillus spp. after using the meal was negatively correlated with the Fusarium spp. load in the wheat rhizosphere. In the case of meal fertilization, ammonification was noticed, and organic nitrogen was successively mineralized. The fertilizer produced from mealworm larvae offers a viable alternative to mineral fertilizers. It improves the health and nutrient status of wheat seedlings and stimulates the growth of Bacillus bacteria that enhance the availability of soil nutrients to plants and prevent seedling damping off. Further research is needed to confirm the applicability of the mealworm fertilizer in other field crops.