Frass is insect excrement, exoskeletons, & organic residues.
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Similar to compost or animal manure, frass adds diverse, crucial organic matter, chitin, and microbes to rebuild soil structure, improve bioavailability of other soil nutrients, and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.
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Application of consistent, high quality insect frass has a wide range of benefits including bolstering plant defense, replenishing beneficial bacteria and microbes, improving nutrient efficiency, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients already in soil, improving soil structure, reducing nutrient run-off, increasing water retention, and improving yields.
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As a circular soil amendment, it is a promising biological alternative to synthetic fertilizers.
Soil Health
Healthy soil is a highly biodiverse living environment of microbes, fungi, invertebrates and more.
Soils play a critical role
in nutrient and element cycling, carbon sequestration, and physical and nutrient support of plants.
Chemical fertilizers
and pesticides application can damage soil biodiversity and microbial communities, disrupting many basic functions of a healthy soil.
Conventional agriculture
and on-farm practices like tillage and monocropping can negatively affect long-term soil health.
Fossil-fuel-based
chemical fertilizers and pesticides can account for over 20% of total GHG emissions.
Current farm practices
result in further nutrient depletion, reduction of organic matter, erosion, and harmful runoff into waterways.
Frass
is the primary byproduct of black soldier fly farming.
Benefits of Frass
Offsets chemical fertilizer and pesticide costs/application
Increased drought resistance
Plays a key role in improved plant health, growth, and development
Potential pest reduction by stimulating natural defense mechanisms and overall biodiversity
Adds structure to treated soils
Beneficial microbes have demonstrated contribution to pathogen reduction
Contains chitin, stimulating natural plant immunities/defenses while improving soil microbial health
Low-odor
A natural biostimulant, rich in microorganisms, organic matter, and key nutrients. A natural way to decrease the use of chemical fertilizers / pesticides, improve soil structure, and increase nutrient bioavailability.
