- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Link to PLOS ONE research article is at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118785)
Crickets, known to pack a protein punch, are often touted as “the sustainable food of the future,” but the issue is far more complex than that, say University of California Cooperative Extension agronomist Mark Lundy and horticultural entomologist Michael Parrella, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, in research published April 15 in the Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE). The research is titled "Crickets Are Not a Free Lunch: Protein Capture from Scalable Organic Side-Streams via High-Density Populations of Acheta domesticus."
"While there is potential for insect cultivation to augment the global supply of dietary protein, some of the sustainability claims on this topic have been overstated,” said Lundy, who headed the research at UC Davis while seeking his doctorate in agronomy. “Our study demonstrates that the sustainability gains associated with cultivating crickets as an alternative source of protein will depend, in large part, on what the crickets are fed and which systems of livestock production they are compared to.”
“Insect cultivation is more likely to contribute to human nutrition at a scale of economic and ecological significance if it does not rely on a diet that competes with conventional livestock, but more innovation is needed for this to become a reality,” Lundy said. “Moving forward, the imperative will be to design cost-effective processes that enable large populations of insects to capture protein from underutilized organic waste and side streams."
For the study, the researchers modified a UC Davis greenhouse into replicated cells. They measured the biomass output and feed conversion ratios of populations of crickets (Acheta domestics) reared on food that ranged from grain-based to highly cellulosic diets.They found that the biomass accumulation was “strongly influenced by the quality of the diet.”
“The measurements were made at a much greater population scale and density than any previously reported in the scientific literature,” they wrote. “The biomass accumulation was strongly influenced by the quality of the diet, with the nitrogen concentration, the ratio of N to acid detergent fiber content, and the crude fat explaining most of the variability between feed treatments. In addition, for populations of crickets that were able to survive to a harvestable size, the feed conversion ratios (FCR) measured were higher (less efficient) than those reported from studies conducted at smaller scales and lower population densities. Compared to the industrial-scale production of broiler chickens, crickets fed a poultry feed diet showed little improvement in protein conversion efficiency (PCE), a key metric in determining the ecological footprint of grain-based livestock protein.”
“Crickets fed solid filtrate from food waste processed at an industrial scale via enzymatic digestion were able to reach a harvestable size and achieve an FCR and PCE similar to that of broiler chickens,” they wrote. “However, cricket populations fed minimally-processed, municipal-scale food waste and diets composed largely of straw experienced more than a 99% mortality before reaching a harvestable size.”
The researchers concluded that the potential for “Acheta domesticus to sustainably supplement the global protein supply, beyond what is currently produced via grain-fed chickens, will depend on capturing regionally scalable organic side-streams of relatively high-quality that are not currently being used for livestock production.”
Worldwide, statistics show that crickets are the most widely cultivated insects for the human diet, and are considered the “gateway bug” to entomophagy. They are touted as highly nutritious, and much better for the planet—environmentally and financially--than livestock due to their comparatively efficient feed conversion.
Lundy, who received his doctorate in agronomy from UC Davis in 2013, and his master's degree in international agricultural development from UC Davis, in 2010, has engaged in entomophagy. Crickets? Yes. “I ate some of my experimental subjects, after weighing them for the research,” he said. He dusted them with cornmeal and Cajun seasoning and fried them in olive oil. He has also snacked on protein bars made with cricket flour.
“I'm all for exploring alternatives, and I am impressed by the amount of innovation that has sprung up around insect cultivation and cuisine in the last few years,” Lundy said. “However, I also think we need to be clear-eyed about what the sustainability gains are and aren't, and focus our innovative efforts and limited resources to where they will have the most lasting impact.”
Crickets are readily available in pet stores as food for turtles, frogs and other pets. Part of many human diets, they are considered delicacies or snacks in many countries. Cricket flour is now commonly found in protein bars, baked goods and protein powders.
Related Links:
PLOS ONE article
Insects: The Food of the Future (Beer and Bugs event at the Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, UC Davis)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
When the 101st annual Picnic Day at the University of California, Davis takes place campuswide on Saturday, April 18, visitors will see plenty of insects and other arthropods from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at two sites: Briggs Hall on Kleiber Hall Drive and the Bohart Museum of Entomology on Crocker Lane.
Ants? Yes. Bees? Sure. Other pollinators? Definitely. The focus is on pollinators.
Theme of the campuswide picnic is “The Heart of Our Community,” but over at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, the theme is “The Good, the Bad and the Bugly.” The museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, will feature pollinators. The museum houses nearly 8 million specimens. It also houses a live “petting zoo,” comprised of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks and a rose-haired tarantula named Peaches, a crowd favorite.
Favorite displays or activities returning are the “Bug Doctor” booth, where an entomologist "is in" and will answer questions about insects; American cockroach races, where visitors can cheer their favorite cockroach to victory; maggot art, where participants can dip a maggot into non-toxic water-based paint and let it crawl (or guide it), on a white piece of paper.
Forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey will portray “Dr. Death,” showing methods used in forensic entomology. The Phil Ward lab will assemble a display on the incredible diversity of ants. The Sharon Lawler lab will display aquatic insects and answer any questions about them.
Medical entomology graduate students will set up displays about diseases vectored by mosquitoes and other insects. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District will provide an educational exhibit about mosquito abatement. Exhibits also will include such topics as fly fishing/fly-tying.
The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) will be giving away lady beetles, aka ladybugs, with the hope that the beneficial insects will land in someone's yard to gobble aphids and other soft-bodied insects. UC IPM also will display pest management control books.
Entomology Club members will offer face-painting. Another popular activity is posing as a bug or flower in a wood cutout.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Scott is the recipient of the C. W. Woodworth Award, the highest honor given by PBESA. He will present a 20-minute seminar at the meeting.
In addition, the department's Linnaean team will compete at the PBESA meeting for a chance to participate in the national ESA's Linnaean Games. In the Linnaean Games, university teams--primarily comprised of graduate students--answer randomly selected questions about insects, entomologists, and entomological facts. It's a fun-filled competition with friendly rivalries. Further details on the Linnaean game will be announced later.
The ESA meeting is set Nov. 15-18 in Minneapolis.
The PBESA meeting, to be held in in the Coeur d'Alene Resort, is themed “Celebrating Entomological Discoveries in the Pacific Branch.”
The opening plenary speaker is Bethany Marshall of Washington State University who will discuss "Natureas Teacher, Insect as Muse." See the official announcement.
Links (read about their work)
James Carey
Thomas Scott
Mohammad-Amir Aghaee
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Klittich, who grew up in the nursery business, will receive a two-year $10,000 scholarship, or $5000 per year. The scholarship is awarded to a master's or doctoral candidate studying horticulture or a related field and seeking a career as a researcher, scientist or educator.
Klittich, who plans to receive his doctorate in entomology in 2016, aspires to be a floriculture scientist and educator.
"I am very excited," he told AFE. "Support from the industry is a very meaningful and appreciated honor." He said he is grateful for the opportunity to "help the industry move forward" with his work on pest control and management."
The scholarship, established in 2010, is funded by contributions to AFE from the floral industry, the Ecke family and other sources.
Klittich's research focuses on increasing plant resistance to herbivorous and improving integrated pest management (IPM) programs in horticulture and floriculture. He is currently analyzing the effects of silicate fertilizers on leafmining pests in chrysanthemum and gerbera production systems.
"I intend to continue this research by testing silicate fertilizers in field trials at production facilities and on new crops," he told AFE. "This scholarship will help with technical aspects in the laboratory and allow me to travel and do more field work."
"The end goal of any applied research project should be to give useful, needed information to growers and industry personnel," Klittich said.
"Danny has given many presentations of his research at grower meetings in California as well as at regional and national programs under the auspices of the Entomological Society of America," wrote nominator Michael Parrella, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
“He has written several successful grant proposals, has a number of practical publications and he is committed to a research/extension career focused on the floriculture/nursery industry," Parrella noted. Klittich has also collaborated with growers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, including Ocean Breeze International, Pyramid Flowers, Inc., and GroLink Chrysanthemums.
"We have been impressed with his practical and technical knowledge and his experience with research projects,” wrote Rene Van Wingerden and Phil Soderman of Ocean Breeze in their recommendation letter. “Daniel has an excellent understanding of the needs of agriculture/horticulture growers.”
Klittich, from Fillmore, Ventura County, is a graduate of Fillmore High School and valedictorian of the Class of 2006. As a youth, he worked at his family's nursery, Otto and Sons Nursery, Inc., Fillmore. He was also active in 4-H and Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
Klittich received his bachelor degree in entomology from UC Davis in 2010. Following his graduation, he worked in the Parrella laboratory, helping to maintain the greenhouses and experimental plants and assisting with pesticide efficacy trials on several crops and pests including spider mites, leafminer and mealbugs. He enrolled in the doctorate program in 2012 and continues his work in the Parrella lab. He is the current president of UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association.
Active in the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and the Pacific Branch of ESA, Klittich was a member of the UC Davis championship team that won the national ESA student debate in 2014 and 2013. The 2014 topic dealt with whether the agricultural use of neonicotinoids should be banned, while the 2013 topic centered on whether to use GMOs to increase food security in regions where the technology is not universally accepted.
In addition, he is a frequent invitational speaker at ESA meetings. He presented a scientific talk on “Role of Invasive Arthropods in Introducing New Pathogens to the Pacific Branch” (2013 PBESA meeting, South Lake Tahoe) and “Influencing oviposition and feeding site selection of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) (2014 ESA meeting, Austin, Texas).
Klittich serves as a teaching assistant for a UC Davis entomology class on "Natural History of Insects" and co-organized a freshman seminar in 2013 on "Insects in Industry."
The American Floral Endowment is dedicated to advancing the industry through funding floriculture research, educational grants and scholarships. More than $15 million has been funded toward research projects benefiting the entire industry, and more than $600,000 has been funded in scholarships designed to attract and retain the future leaders of the industry.
(Editor's Note: Lori Ostrow, communications specialist with the American Floral Endowment, contributed to this news story.)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
You could, but you wouldn't.
O'Donnell, a noted USDA thrips expert and educator with three degrees from the University of California, Davis, knows well those tiny insects that cause billions worth of damage annually to U.S. agricultural crops. She's studied thrips for 18 years and worked on thrips programs with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the last seven years.
Today O'Donnell continues to target thrips in her new position with the USDA. As of April 6, she is the National Thysanoptera Taxonomist with the National Identification Services (NIS) at the Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL) in Beltsville, MD.
Specifically, her position is with the National Identification Services (NIS) of the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or what USDA officials refer to as "APHIS PPQ NIS." The Thysanoptera collection of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL) is housed with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
“I love my work,” she said, “and I love my favorite insect, thrips.”
"Cheryle is a tremendously talented biologist and she holds a real fascination for thrips, their classification, host relationships and biology," said former major professor Diane Ullman, professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. "She will do a fantastic job in this position, which will be important to the global community studying thrips and trying to develop management strategies."
The Beltsville position, last held in 1999 by mentor Sueo Nakahara, will involve working for National Identification Services in the Agricultural Research Station and with the National Museum of Natural History Thysanoptera collection.
Thrips, barely visible to the naked eye, heavily damage fruits, vegetable and horticultural crops, so much so that they can—and do--pose a biosecurity threat. In 1996, Cuba's Fidel Castro accused the United States of aerially releasing Thrips palmi over potato fields.
“Of the more than 5000 species of thrips known in the world, some are serious pests, and some are beneficial as pollinators and predators,” O'Donnell said. “Some thrips transmit plant diseases, such as the tomato spotted wilt virus and the Impatients necrotic spot viruses.”
“To monitor agricultural crops effectively, it's important to be able to identify them, but it's difficult to do so without understanding thrips taxonomy and identification,” O'Donnell said. “Thrips are so small—one millimeter long or less--that they're like a speck. Inspectors see larvae, eggs and adults on plant material coming in. It's difficult to separate species at the life stage of eggs, larvae and adult males.”
O'Donnell recalled that her first position with USDA was as an area identifier of thrips. “It encompassed the identification of pests intercepted in cargo and baggage from origins around the world,” she said. “ My first assignment was at the Plant Inspection Station in Nogales, Ariz., one of the largest Mexican produce importing ports. I then transferred to Florida to the Miami Plant Inspection Station where the majority of cut flowers enter into the U.S. from Central and South America.“ She also saw temporary duty in Blaine, Wash., as an identifier and then transferred to the Plant Inspection Station in San Diego.
"In Miami, thrips larvae are intercepted regularly on cut flowers coming into the U.S. from south and Central America," O'Donnell said. "We did not have the tools to separate the quarantine significant thrips from those that are not of concern at the larval stage. My suspicion has been that there were a handful of thrips species of concern whereas the majority were not. The PPQ agency developed a pilot program to conduct molecular pilot program in Miami which may lead to a policy change in how we make quarantine decisions regarding the larvae intercepted. I have been the coordinator of this pilot program."
"There were several thrips species coming in from Mexico listed as quarantine significant that I knew to be found within the U.S. and those species have been removed from the quarantine status."
O'Donnell published “job aids” on the USDA website that include multilevel and gender identification, plus digital imaging. Over the last decade, she has organized and conducted thrips workshops, produced videos, and published research. She edited a monthly Pest Interception Report and co-edited the Looking Glass quarterly journal on activities at plant inspection stations. She also conducted outreach sessions at schools, universities and trade shows.
Learning about thrips came naturally. "I follow in the footsteps of my great uncles and my father," O'Donnell related. "My uncle, Richard Clemens, worked for CDFA at the port of Los Angeles and at the ferry building in San Francisco. My uncle, Michael Clemens, worked with CDFA in Smith River and Winterhaven, CA. Both were looking for agricultural pests of quarantine significance. Last year in San Diego when I was cleaning out some older documents at the plant inspection station, I found a request and a few letters (1940s) from my uncle Richard Clemens asking the area identifier in San Diego at the time for information on new pests he found in California. It's a small world!"
O'Donnell arrived at UC Davis in the mid-1990s as a single mom raising a young daughter. A former employee of an electronic manufacturing business, she enrolled at UC Davis to study ornamental horticulture. At the same time she managed a landscaping business.
“There were many times I was doubtful that I could continue to meet the demands of my chosen field,” O'Donnell said, crediting her family, friends and UC Davis scientists with offering her the support she needed to complete her education.
“When I began my education at UC Davis I chose Agricultural Systems and the Environment as my major. However, while working on my bachelor's degree I became infatuated with insects and their interaction with plants,” she said, which led to her endearing nickname, “The Bug Lady.”
“I continued my academic career in entomology and have never regretted that decision. I was privileged to study under the guidance of Professors Michael Parrella and Diane Ullman.” They, along with Professors Jay Rosenheim, Lynn Kimsey and Penny Gullan “became not only my instructors, guidance counselors, but also my mentors throughout my years at UC Davis.”
Parrella and O'Donnell collaborated with Moritz, (University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany) on a grant to produce a molecular and morphological identification key, now available online.
An avid entomologist with a passion for soft spot for thrips—“my favorite insect!”--O'Donnell takes every opportunity to discuss the insect order, Thysanoptera, and train others to identify them. She provides training tools and workshops to assist with identification and curation of thrips.
In addition to her doctorate, O'Donnell holds two other degrees from UC Davis: a bachelor's in agricultural systems and the environment (1997) and a master's degree in plant protection and pest management (2000). Her master's thesis: “The Biology and Identification of Selected North American Thysanoptera Associated with Ornamental Plants.” Her dissertation covered “Color Morphology of the Western flower thrips in California and virus-vector relationships of members in the Terebrantia: Thysanoptera (a molecular and morphological analysis).” She praised her advisors, Penny Gullan, insect systematics; Diane Ullman, virus vectors; Steve Nadler, molecular phylogeny; and Parrella, integrated pest management.
While at UC Davis, O'Donnell organized and conducted a three-day thrips workshop funded by a biosecurity grant from USDA. It drew a capacity crowd.
The UC Davis-product encourages students to follow their dreams. “Focus on your goals, never deviate from those goals, and never allow obstacles to get in the way,” she advises. It is a difficult and challenging path you have chosen but it will be worth all the hard work. The UC Davis community, the ‘village' which supports you, is an experience you will never forget and the payoff will be great throughout your life.”
