615. Genetic improvement program in black soldier fly for increased larval weight in industrial applications

Black soldier fly farming has increased in recent years. The black soldier fly larvae convert low-grade organic materials into high-value food, feed and technical products. To meet the rising demands for proteins in the feed and food industries, there is a need to improve the efficiency of production. Selective breeding can play an important role in such a scenario. Here we present the outcomes of a breeding program for increased larval weight, that started in 2019. The performance of the selected line over the base population line was evaluated in six rounds, under different environmental conditions. Under industrial conditions, an average improvement of +39% in larval weight, +34% in wet crate yield, +26% in dry matter crate yield, +32% in crude protein crate yield and +21% crude fat crate yield was achieved. This research clearly demonstrates the potential of selective breeding for improved efficiency when farming black soldier fly.