A&L Biological Partners With Aspire Food Group to Research and Develop Bio-Based Fertilizers
18 February 2021 A&L Biological Inc., a subsidiary of A&L Canada Laboratories Inc., announced it will research and develop products from cricket frass, a by-product of the Aspire Food Group’s future cricket production and processing facility in London, Ontario. Frass contains a wide range of nutrients in readily-available form that are necessary for plant development and soil health. In addition to key soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium; most of the frass consists of organic matter — which is a contributor to improved soil fertility and productivity.
A&L will provide expertise and specialized knowledge of biostimulant technology to develop bio-based fertilizer from cricket frass for sustainable and improved crop production. As technology advances in improving crop production and sustaining agriculture soils, innovation in crop nutrition and biostimulants will be a key component to the future of agriculture. A&L Biological has an established R&D platform for the discovery and development of biostimulant and biocontrol technologies for practical, bio-based solutions to the agricultural industry.
“Frass at this scale is a new resource for agriculture production,” said Dr. Soledad Saldías, Research Lab Director & Special Projects for A&L Biologicals. “We will be researching the benefits for plant growth, soil health and nutrient uptake on the soil microbiome and microbial processes. Our goal is to develop a unique, frass-based commercial product which leverages our expertise in biostimulants and biocontrol technology to deliver a value-added, differentiated product.”
Saldías will lead this project which has received funding from Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, or NGen.
NGen, the industry-led organization behind Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, recently announced funding for this multi-partner project, led by Aspire Food Group.
“Aspire Food Group is a world leader in building the lowest cost, highest-density, and most ethical automated food-grade protein production system. With support from industry leaders like DarwinAI, TELUS Agriculture, Swift Labs and A&L Canada Laboratories, the new facility is expected to revolutionize food-grade protein production and address food insecurity and the high environmental cost of protein production. This innovative and ground-breaking project is the largest project funded by NGen to date and will develop the world’s first fully automated insect protein manufacturing site, positioning Canada as a leader in this space,” said Jayson Myers, CEO, NGen.
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