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sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Danida - Agence danoise pour le développement international

Titre du projet : SUSTAINABLE AND EFFICIENT INSECT PRODUCTION FOR LIVESTOCK FEED THROUGH SELECTIVE BREEDING (FLYGENE)

Pays : Kenya Uganda

Code projet : 21-09-AU

Durée  : Start date : 1 April, 2022 // End date : 31 March, 2027

Project Type : Research collaboration projects in Danida priority countries

Résumé
Interest in insect rearing for livestock feed is growing globally, including in Kenya and Uganda where the booming livestock sector has necessitated feed importation. Insect rearing offers climate-friendly bio-waste conversion as insects can thrive on food-wastes that are unusable by other livestock. High digestibility and nutritional value of insect meal for various livestock species not only improve livestock productivity, but also help to reduce greenhouse gas emission per livestock product unit. In Kenya and Uganda, the black soldier fly (BSF) is of particular interest among insect species used for feed. While number of smallholder farmers and commercial companies rearing BSF for feed in Kenya and Uganda is increasing, production still relies on wild BSF strains and selective breeding to improve BSF product quality and quantity is non-existent. There is a knowledge gap regarding which BSF parameters to improve genetically and to what extent can these parameters be improved. Additionally, the insect’s small size, fragility, and metamorphic life cycle makes it challenging to implement selective breeding. Several research questions remain to be addressed including : • Which BSF traits should be prioritized in the smallholder and commercial production contexts in Kenya and Uganda, and to what extent can these traits be genetically improved ? • Can BSF individuals or families be identified and traits measured at a large scale for routine genetic evaluation, given the insect’s small size, fragility, and metamorphic life cycle ? • What is the existing extent of genetic diversity within and between BSF populations in Kenya and Uganda ? • Which breeding strategy would allow optimal genetic gain while maintaining genetic diversity ? The overall aim of this project is to generate new knowledge of BSF genetics, genomics, and phenomics to inform the design of sustainable breeding programs in Kenya and Uganda. With the assembly of a multidisciplinary team of entomologists, geneticists, bioinformaticians, electronic and computer engineers, and nutritionists, the project will explore innovative BSF phenotyping and family identification systems and the genetic parameters of BSF traits, followed by the design of breeding schemes.

Organisme leader : Aarhus University (AU), Denmark

Partenaires : University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark Makerere University (MAK), Uganda University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya InsectiPro, Kenya Marula Proteen Ltd, Uganda

Financement : 11,999,759 DKK

Présentation (DANIDA