By Charlene Tebbutt

Early results show benefits of fusarium-damaged wheat

Apr 3, 2018 | 5:00 PM

A study conducted through the University of Saskatchewan into the use of fusarium-infected wheat and mealworms has yielded some positive results and researchers hope the information can be used to benefit both the wheat and poultry industries.

Fiona Buchanan, an animal and poultry science professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said trials using fusarium-infected wheat to fatten mealworms show the worms can effectively process toxins in the damaged wheat. The mealworms can then safely be fed to chickens in their feed.

The trial showed promising results, and Buchanan and her team have now embarked on a second, larger trial – using one million mealworms. The second trial will use one million worms fed on varying amounts of red wheat and durum wheat.

“We’ve run feeding trials with only 10,000 worms, so the results look really promising,” Buchanan said. “The second results should be very similar to the first trial … and that’s what we want to do is we want to take something, that salvaged wheat and convert it into something that’s valuable.”

In the first trial, the mealworms were fed different amounts of contaminated wheat and then studied to determine how much of the toxin was in their body after one month of feeding, Buchanan explained. The worms were able to detoxify the wheat, leaving only small amounts, and were deemed suitable for chicken feed.

Manitoba School Tax Rebate

Manitoba school tax rebate remains at 50 per cent

Apr 04, 2024

Swine welfare

Research underway to benefit sustainability of swine industry

Mar 25, 2024

Alberta announces new agriculture-focused non-profit

Mar 25, 2024

Buchanan said the worms are a good source of protein for the chickens. If results of the second study are positive, the next step would be to look at developing a facility on the prairies to rear the insects using fusarium-damaged wheat.

Such a facility would create a market for farmers with damaged wheat, and a new source of nutritional feed for poultry producers, she added. The mealworms contain 50 per cent protein, Buchanan said.

“Mealworms should be eating wheat, and chickens should be eating mealworms,” she added. “The mealworms are doing us a huge favour by converting something that we have no use for into something that’s valuable.”

The study will continue throughout the year and more research to determine the impact on chickens will begin in January.

charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt