Combined animal feeding operations generate low value manure which cannot be economically transported more than a few miles and cannot be used locally at proper agronomic rates. Local nutrient overload then occurs, potentially resulting in odors, lowered water quality and pest insects; depending on how the manure is handled. Quickly extracting these nutrients before undesirable natural processes occur and concentrating them into forms valuable enough to economically transport long distances would solve these problems. We are focusing on the Hermetia system as the economic engine/ commercial driver to demonstrate economic feasibility and environmental friendliness of this approach. OBJECTIVES: The Hermetia manure management system proposed by Dr Sheppard of the University of Georgia represents a departure from the normal way of thinking about treating manures generated by CAFOs. Dr Sheppard has proposed and researched for over 20 years the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) as an effective management system that is also value added with respect to the farmer. Key aspects of the Hermetia system are it is an indigenous species, is a low tech approach (meaning low processing costs), utilizes a negative cost feedstock, gives a good conversion rate from manure dry matter to Hermetia dry matter (including good nitrogen and phosphorus removal). Hermetia prepupae self harvest (there is no requirement for human or mechanical input), there are no noxious odor emissions and a produces a residue that can be used as a soil amendment or low nutrient fertilizer. We are not proposing a holistic waste management system per se. Hermetia based systems for treating putrescible wastes have been documented illustrating the economic viability of such a system. While these systems are elegant, low cost, low tech and require minimal modification of existing facilities, there is a lack of a real commercial interest in the product of the Hermetia system. No one has demonstrated the marketability based on actual products that can be recovered from this organism. We are focusing on the Hermetia system as the economic engine/ commercial driver to demonstrate economic feasibility and environmental friendliness of this approach. APPROACH: 1. Investigate processing alternatives to assess the relative efficacies of methods to bulk process Hermetia. The aim is to recover maximal quantities of protein, fat and chitosan. 2. Perform amino acid analyses on protein recovered by different processing methods (outside lab). 3. Perform fatty acid analyses on lipids recovered by different processing methods (outside lab). 4. Investigate best methods to deproteinize Hermetia and attain maximal oil recovery. 5. Investigate best methods to convert Hermetia chitin to chitosan. 6. Perform standard in house QA/QC and performance analyses on chitosan recovered by different processing methods. 7. Determine which processing methods will give the best and most cost effective yield
