Modular cultivation system for the coupled production of insects, tropical marine animals and plants
The transition to a more sustainable food production makes it necessary to increasingly develop new, sustainable cultivation systems. To this end, an iFZ research group, together with the Technical University Mittelhessen and the Fraunhofer IME, has developed a modular cultivation system for the coupled production of insects, tropical marine animals and terrestrial plants that can be operated in existing buildings.
A pilot plant was put into operation in the iFZ Biotechnikum hall in 2023. Insects are bred on the basis of unused residual streams from agriculture, which serve as high-quality feed for tropical shrimp. The shrimps are kept in barrels made from regionally grown wood and the water is largely filtered biologically using tropical mussels and sea cucumbers.
Wooden tanks for shrimps made from regionally grown wood in the iFZ Biotechnikum (Photo T. Wilke)