NIFA grant supports research on insects as organic nutrient source for poultry feed
Jan. 30, 2026
By Robby Edwards
University of Arkansas
Fast Facts
- Arkansas one of seven states to receive funding for the research
- Project investigates insects as natural source of methionine, an essential amino acid
- Multi-disciplinary team includes nutrition, ag technology, economics researchers
(860 words)
Download PHOTO of Adnan Alrubaye
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A comprehensive assessment of the potential of harvested insects could lead to a low-cost, readily available nutrient source for organic poultry farmers.
Synthetic amino acids are generally prohibited in certified organic poultry production. Methionine is the only synthetic amino acid allowed in organic poultry feed at restricted levels due to its high biological requirement.
Finding a natural, cheaper source of methionine has been a priority for organic farmers, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a nearly $1 million grant to Adnan Alrubaye, an assistant professor of poultry science in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
Alrubaye’s collaborators on the project include researchers with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Alrubaye is also part of the experiment station.
The project, “De-Bugging Synthetic Methionine from Organic Poultry Diets: Exploiting the Potential of Insect Meals as a Source of Methionine,” is funded for $996,545. Arkansas is one of only seven states nationwide to receive this grant.
Natural source
In addition to harvested insects, Alrubaye and his team will also evaluate commercially raised crickets, which preliminary data showed to also have potential as a sustainable source of methionine for organic poultry diets.
Alrubaye, who is also associate director of the University of Arkansas’ graduate program in cell and molecular biology, and his team of researchers plan to:
- Collect and prepare insect meal from wild harvested insects and perform microbiological safety and nutrient analysis of the meal to formulate broiler rations.
- Evaluate growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens fed with insect-based diets.
- Conduct an economic analysis to evaluate the feasibility of insect meals as a viable source of methionine.
- Conduct on-farm testing of the effectiveness of treatments in organic poultry production systems.
“The long-term goal of this proposal is to provide a natural and sustainable source of methionine and minimize the impact of dietary supplementation of synthetic methionine in organic poultry production,” Alrubaye said. “Our overall goal is to evaluate the potential of insect meals as a natural source of methionine, while assisting organic poultry producers to comply with the requirements of the National Organic Program.”
Research and outreach
Project results and information on organic poultry production will be shared with organic and sustainable agriculture communities by an extension team made up of experienced poultry specialists and stakeholders who have been involved in organic poultry production.
The team will present the project's results at conferences, in electronic and printed materials, and through training activities at a research and teaching-oriented organic poultry facility. Additionally, the team will conduct train-the-trainer programs for extension specialists and other interested stakeholders on the project's objectives, results and applications.
The first phase, collecting and preparing insect meal, includes formulating broiler rations to optimize methionine levels. Traps will provide farmers with an economical way to collect supplemental protein sources from their animal and agricultural farms and will be deployed at multiple locations to collect houseflies from poultry farms.
“The harvested flies will be collected and processed to obtain dried insect meals,” said Alrubaye. “The dried insect meal will be screened for the presence of selected poultry and human pathogens, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni, using standard culture and PCR-based detection methods to ensure the safety of inclusion of insect meals in poultry rations. We will conduct nutrient analysis of dried insect meals to determine true metabolizable energy (TMEn) and digestible amino acids of insect meal and formulate rations for broiler chickens.”
Feed trials will be conducted during the second phase to evaluate growth parameters and feed efficiency in broiler chickens fed an insect-based meal compared to those fed synthetic methionine.
“We will also determine the post-harvest meat quality and conduct sensory studies to evaluate the consumer acceptability of meat from broilers fed with natural and sustainable sources of methionine in comparison to broiler chickens fed with conventional diets,” said Alrubaye. “We will utilize the data from the aforementioned studies to determine the most effective treatments, and we will conduct on-farm testing of the effectiveness of treatments in organic poultry farms.”
Alrubaye is the principal investigator. Collaborators include Komala Arsi, Palmy Jesudhasan and Phillip Shults with the USDA-ARS; Craig Coon, professor of poultry science; Jada Thompson, associate professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness; Casey Owens, professor of poultry processing and products; Diego Martinez, a poultry nutritionist with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science; and Sarah Bramall, an instructor in the department of agricultural education, communications and technology.
The work is supported by USDA-NIFA’s Research, Education and Economics Information System Program, project award No. 2025-51106-45108 for 2025-29.
Insect waste recycling
With insect farming projected to generate 5.5 million tons of insect waste in North America by 2033, scientists with the experiment station, Bumpers College and USDA-ARS looked at the byproduct as a soil amendment in soybeans and switchgrass.
The research showed that the insect waste, also called frass, delivered two to four times greater nutrient efficiency than poultry litter and reduced soybean leaf damage by 38 to 45 percent.
To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit aaes.uada.edu. Follow the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, a former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. Senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on X or Instagram at @BumpersCollege.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
John Lovett
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station
(479) 763-5929
jlovett@uada.edu