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Effect and Optimal Level of Dietary Dried Watermeal (Wolffia globosa) Supplementation on the Production Performance of Two-Spotted Crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus)
by
, , ,
Jamlong Mitchaothai
1,*,
Nils T. Grabowski
2,
Rachakris Lertpatarakomol
3
,
Tassanee Trairatapiwan
3 and
Achara Lukkananukool
4 1
Office of Administrative Interdisciplinary Program on Agricultural Technology, School of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
2
Institute for Food Quality and Food Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo), 30173 Hannover, Germany
3
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahanakorn University of Technology (MUT), Bangkok 10530, Thailand
4
Department of Animal Production Technology and Fisheries, School of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(14), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15142052
Submission received: 25 May 2025
/
Revised: 4 July 2025
/
Accepted: 8 July 2025
/
Published: 11 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Nutrition)
Simple Summary
Watermeal is a high-protein plant, making it a suitable supplementary feed for crickets. In this study, dried watermeal was substituted into commercial feed at levels of 0% (commercial feed only), 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100% (watermeal only) over a 28-day experimental period. The results showed that production performance, survival rate, production index, and nutrient content in cricket bodies were acceptable at substitution levels of 10%, 25%, and 50%, while levels of 75%, 90%, and 100% resulted in poorer outcomes. The optimal substitution level of dried watermeal was determined to be 36.7%.
Abstract
Watermeal (Wolffia globosa) is an emerging sustainable feed ingredient, valued for its rapid growth, high protein content, and rich nutrient profile, offering great potential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of edible cricket production systems through efficient resource use and reduced environmental impact. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing commercial cricket feed with dried watermeal and to determine the optimal substitution level for the production performance of two-spotted crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus). Seven dietary treatments were tested, namely 0% (control; T1), 10% (T2), 25% (T3), 50% (T4), 75% (T5), 90% (T6), and 100% (T7). Crickets were reared for four weeks in an open system with 6 replicates per treatment, with each containing 120 nymphs. Body weight, feed intake, and survival rate were recorded weekly, and a production index was calculated at the end of the trial. Results showed average growth rates ranging from 7.40 to 28.20 mg/day, feed conversion ratios (FCR) between 1.03 and 1.68, survival rates of 29.28% to 69.73%, and production index values from 24.00 to 128.30. A significant decline in production efficiency (p < 0.05) was observed at substitution levels of 75% and above, with the 100% watermeal group showing the lowest production efficiency (p < 0.05), likely due to nutrient imbalances and indigestible compounds. Segmented regression analysis identified 36.7% as the optimal level of watermeal supplementation. In terms of body composition, crickets fed diets containing up to 50% watermeal (10%, 25%, and 50%) showed crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and ash contents comparable to those fed the commercial diet. This finding suggests that dried watermeal can replace up to 50% of the commercial cricket feed without negatively affecting growth performance, survival, or nutritional quality, with 36.7% identified as the optimal replacement level for maximizing production efficiency.
