Browsing by Author "Wepondi, Harbert"

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    Determination of growth performance of crickets (acheta domesticus) reared on rice bran substrate.
    (Busitema University, 2026) Wepondi, Harbert
    Insects, particularly the house cricket (Acheta domesticus), are increasingly recognized as a sustainable and nutritious alternative protein source to address food and nutrition insecurity, with advantages including efficient feed conversion, low resource requirements, and the ability to utilize agro-industrial by-products. Limited information exists on the performance of crickets reared on locally available agro-based substrates in Uganda. This study evaluated the growth performance, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival, and maturity of house crickets reared on different agro-based substrates at Busitema University Arapai Campus, Soroti District. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three treatments and three replicates was used: T1 (100% maize bran as control), T2 (100% rice bran), and T7 (50% maize bran + 50% rice bran). Each replicate started with 50 third- to fourth-instar nymphs (total 450 crickets) reared for eight weeks under ambient room conditions (28–31 °C), with pumpkin leaves as a water source. Weekly measurements included body weight gain, feed intake, FCR, survival rate, and reproductive parameters (days to laying and hatching). Results showed that pure rice bran (T2) supported poor performance: weight gain declined and became negative from week 6 (−0.0103 ± 0.0105 g) to week 8 (−0.2637 ± 0.1631 g), with significantly lower total weight gain (3.020 ± 0.846 g) compared to T1 (8.683 ± 0.975 g) and T7 (8.193 ± 0.686 g) (p = 0.0057). Survival at week 8 was lowest in T2 (20.7 ± 3.1%) versus T1 (44.7 ± 3.1%) and T7 (46.7 ± 2.3%) (p < 0.001). The 50:50 blend (T7) achieved the shortest time to laying (43.3 ± 3.8 days; p = 0.019) and overall performance comparable to the maize bran control, while pure rice bran delayed egg hatching (22.7 ± 1.2 days). Feed intake increased with age across treatments, but FCR was less efficient on pure rice bran. In conclusion, 100% rice bran is unsuitable as a sole substrate due to nutritional limitations (high fibre, anti-nutritional factors), leading to reduced growth, survival, and reproductive success. A 50% maize bran + 50% rice bran blend offers a viable, cost-effective alternative that maintains growth and survival while utilizing local agro-waste. These findings support recommendations for blended substrates in smallholder cricket farming to enhance food security and income generation in Soroti District and similar agro-ecological zones.