Effects of black soldier fly (hermetia illucens) frass on growth and yield of green pepper (capscum annum).
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Date
2026
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Busitema University
Abstract
Green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important horticultural crop that contributes to household nutrition, income generation, and livelihoods. However, its production is constrained by declining soil fertility, high costs of inorganic fertilizers, and limited access to sustainable nutrient-management options. Black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) frass has emerged as a promising organic fertilizer because it contains plant nutrients and organic matter and provides an opportunity for recycling organic wastes into useful agricultural inputs. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of BSF frass on the growth and yield of green pepper. The study was conducted at Arapai Campus Farm, Busitema University, and in Amuria District, Eastern Uganda. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used to evaluate six fertilizer treatments comprising 227.27g/plant frass (8.33t/ha), 454.55g/plant frass (16.67t/ha), 681.82g/ha frass (25t/ha), farmyard manure (FYM), NPK fertilizer 3g/plant (100kg/ha), and an unfertilized control. Data were collected on vegetative growth parameters, including leaf area index, number of leaves, number of branches, plant height, and stem diameter, as well as yield components including number of fruits, fruit weight, and total fruit yield. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared at the 5% significance level. The results showed that fertilizer treatments significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the growth and yield of green pepper. NPK consistently produced the highest vegetative growth, followed by 681.82g/plant frass, while the unfertilized control generally recorded the lowest growth. A similar trend was observed for yield components, with NPK producing the highest number of fruits, fruit weight, and total yield, followed by 681.82g/plant frass. The 227.27g/plant frass and 454.55g/plant frass treatments generally produced intermediate responses, while farmyard manure also improved crop performance compared with the unfertilized control. The study concluded that fertilizer application improved the growth and yield of green pepper compared with the unfertilized control. The study recommended the use of 681.82g/plant (25t/ha) BSF frass as the most promising rate among the BSF frass rates evaluated, while recognizing that NPK produced the strongest overall response under the conditions of the study.
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Undergraduate research report
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Citation
Elumu, J. (2026). Effects of black soldier fly (hermetia illucens) frass on growth and yield of green pepper (capscum annum). [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.