Meeting Abstract
Recent research in the Radford Ecophysiology lab has shown that frass from Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) has similar chemical characteristics to organic fertilizers. Specifically, infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that frass contains functional groups similar to those found in both synthetic fertilizers and cow manure. In the current project, we set out to determine if frass from Madagascar hissing cockroaches modulated growth of Raphanus raphanistrum, Solanum lycopersicum and Lactuca sativa under a variety of treatment conditions and dilutions. Growth trials of three-week increments were conducted under controlled conditions. Resulting growth was analyzed based on both overall plant size and relative growth of subcomponents (roots, stem, leaves) across and within species and concentrations gradients. Results suggest that in moderate to high concentrations, frass was fatal to plants, causing an inhibition of growth, however, this inhibition varied across plant species. In contrast, low concentrations, below or comparable to that used in commercial fertilizer produced a significant increase in plant growth across multiple metrics. Here, we discuss these results, as well their implications both for natural plant-insect interactions and in agriculture.
