A full diallel cross among four Thai black soldier fly populations found strong general combining ability in the Buriram and Kanchanaburi lines. The B×K hybrid reached 264.38 mg per larva at day 10 and developed in 12.14 days, supporting systematic within-line selection and crossing, pending production-scale validation.
Key findings
- Parental lines differed by 34.5% in day-10 weight. B and K had superior general combining ability. B×K reached 264.38 mg per larva at day 10 and the shortest development time of 12.14 days. Mid-parent heterosis ranged from 7.5% to 43.4%, peaking early; reciprocal effects were small, while both general and specific combining ability contributed.
Why this matters globally
Black soldier flies support circular protein production and biomass management. Structured breeding could improve productivity beyond husbandry optimisation and establish traceable industrial foundation lines.
Thai researcher contribution
Khon Kaen University, Betagro Science Centre, and Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok used geographically diverse Thai populations in an academia-industry breeding study. Publisher affiliations correct a secondary-database mismatch that had mapped RMUTTO to Prapokklao Hospital.
Limitations to consider
The abstract does not report family numbers, replication, diet, environment, or full life-cycle yield. Hybrid performance may change across substrates and facilities, and rapid growth does not ensure nutritional quality, colony health, or multigenerational stability.