Comparison of population genetic estimates amongst wild,F1 and F2 cultured abalone (Haliotis midae)

Haliotis midae is South Africa's most important aquaculture species. The reproduction cycle is currently not closed as many farms rely on wild‐caught broodstock for seed production. However, there is an increasing interest in genetic improvement in commercial stocks, with a growing number of producers implementing selective breeding strategies. High throughput commercial production and mass spawning make it difficult to maintain breeding records; therefore, mostly mass selection is practised. The high fecundity and unequal parental contributions also often lead to increased levels of inbreeding. This study therefore aimed to assess the genetic effects of such breeding practices on commercial populations of H. midae. Using microsatellite loci, the genetic properties of a wild, an F1 and an F2 population were estimated and compared. Although there was no significant loss of genetic diversity amongst the cultured populations in comparison with the wild progenitor population, there was low‐to‐moderate genetic differentiation between populations. Relatedness amongst the F2 population was significant, and the rate of inbreeding was high. The effective population size for the F2 (±50) was also comparatively small with respect to the wild (∞) and F1 (±470) populations. These results suggest that farms need to give caution to breeding practices beyond the first (F1) generation and aim to increase effective population sizes and minimise inbreeding to ensure long‐term genetic gain and productivity. This study also confirms the usefulness of population genetic analyses for commercial breeding and stock management in the absence of extensive pedigree records.     

Rodrigues fruit bats (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pteropus rodricensis</Emphasis>, Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae) retain genetic diversity despite population declines and founder events

Fruit bats of the genus Pteropus are important contributors to ecosystem maintenance on islands through their roles as pollinators and seed dispersers. However, island faunas are the most prone to extinction and there is a real need to assess the possible genetic implications of population reductions in terms of extinction risk. An effective method of ameliorating extinction risk in endangered species is the establishment of captive populations ex situ. The effectiveness of captive breeding programmes may be assessed by comparing the genetic variability of captive colonies to that of wild counterparts. Here, we use polymorphic microsatellite loci to assess genetic variability in wild, critically endangered Rodrigues fruit bats (Pteropus rodricensis, Dobson 1878) and we compare this variability to that in a captive colony. We document remarkable conservation of genetic variability in both the wild and captive populations, despite population declines and founder events. Our results demonstrate that the wild population has withstood the negative effects of population reductions and that captive breeding programmes can fulfil the goals of retaining genetic diversity and limiting inbreeding.     

Susceptibility of black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae and adults to four insecticides

Dosage-mortality regressions were determined for black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), larvae fed cyromazine or pyriproxifen treated media. Cyromazine LC50 for larvae dying before becoming prepupae ranged from 0.25 to 0.28 ppm with dosage-mortality regression slopes between 5.79 and 12.04. Cyromazine LC50s for larvae dying before emergence ranged from 0.13 to 0.19 ppm with dosage-mortality regression slopes between 3.94 and 7.69. Pyriproxifen dosage-mortality regressions were not generated for larvae failing to become prepupae since <32% mortality was recorded at the highest concentration of 1,857 ppm. LC50s for larvae failing to become adults ranged from 0.10 to 0.12 ppm with dosage mortality-regression slopes between 1.67 and 2.32. Lambda-cyhalothrin and permethrin dosage-mortality regressions were determined for wild adult black soldier flies and house flies, Musca domestica L., and for susceptible house flies. Our results indicate that the wild house fly, unlike the black soldier fly, population was highly resistant to each of these pyrethroids. Regression slopes for black soldier flies exposed to lambda-cyhalothrin were twice as steep as those determined for the wild house fly strain. Accordingly, LC50s for the black soldier fly and susceptible house fly were 10- to 30-fold lower than those determined for wild house flies. The differential sensitivity between wild black soldier flies and house flies might be due to behavioral differences. Adult house flies usually remain in animal facilities with the possibility of every adult receiving pesticide exposure, while black soldier fly adults are typically present only during emergence and oviposition thereby limiting their exposure.     

Microsatellites uncover extraordinary diversity in native American land races and wild populations of cultivated sunflower

The contemporary oilseed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) gene pool is a product of multiple breeding and domestication bottlenecks. Despite substantial phenotypic diversity, modest differences in molecular genetic diversity have been uncovered in anciently and recently domesticated sunflowers. The paucity of molecular marker polymorphisms in early analyses led to the hypothesis of a single domestication origin. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on 47 domesticated and wild germplasm accessions using 122 microsatellite loci distributed throughout the sunflower genome. Extraordinary allelic diversity was found in the Native American land races and wild populations, and progressively less allelic diversity was found in germplasm produced by successive cycles of domestication and breeding. Of 1,341 microsatellite alleles, 489 were unique to land races, exotic domesticates and wild populations, whereas only 15 were unique to elite inbred lines. The number of taxon-specific alleles was 35-fold greater among wild populations (26.27) than elite inbred lines (0.75). Microsatellite genotyping uncovered the possibility of multiple domestication origins. Land races domesticated by Native Americans of the southwestern US (Hopi and Havasupai) formed a clade independent of land races domesticated by Native Americans of the Great Plains and eastern US (Arikara and Seneca). Predictably, domestication and breeding have ratcheted genetic diversity down in sunflower. The contemporary oilseed sunflower gene pool, while not imperiled, could profit from an infusion of novel alleles from the reservoir of latent genetic diversity present in wild populations and Native American land races.     

Plant domestication slows pest evolution

Agricultural practices such as breeding resistant varieties and pesticide use can cause rapid evolution of pest species, but it remains unknown how plant domestication itself impacts pest contemporary evolution. Using experimental evolution on a comparative phylogenetic scale, we compared the evolutionary dynamics of a globally important economic pest – the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) – growing on 34 plant taxa, represented by 17 crop species and their wild relatives. Domestication slowed aphid evolution by 13.5%, maintained 10.4% greater aphid genotypic diversity and 5.6% higher genotypic richness. The direction of evolution (i.e. which genotypes increased in frequency) differed among independent domestication events but was correlated with specific plant traits. Individual‐based simulation models suggested that domestication affects aphid evolution directly by reducing the strength of selection and indirectly by increasing aphid density and thus weakening genetic drift. Our results suggest that phenotypic changes during domestication can alter pest evolutionary dynamics.     

Population structure and genetic diversity of four Henan pig populations

To investigate the population structure and genetic diversity of Henan indigenous pig breeds, samples from a total of 78 pigs of 11 breeds were collected, including four pig populations from Henan Province, three Western commercial breeds, three Chinese native pig breeds from other provinces and one Asian wild boar. The genotyping datasets were obtained by genotyping‐by‐sequencing technology. We found a high degree of polymorphism and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay in Henan pigs. A neighbor‐joining tree, principal component analysis and structure analysis revealed that the Huainan and Erhualian pigs were clustered together and that the Queshan black pigs were clearly grouped together but that the Nanyang and Yuxi pigs were extensively admixed with Western pigs. In addition, heterozygosity values might indicate that Henan indigenous pigs, especially the Queshan black and Huainan pigs, were subjected to little selection during domestication. The results presented here indicate that Henan pig breeds were admixed from Western breeds, especially Nanyang and Yuxi pigs. Therefore, establishment of purification and rejuvenation systems to implement conservation strategies is urgent. In addition, it is also necessary to accelerate genetic resources improvement and utilization using modern breeding technologies, such as genomic selection and genome‐wide association studies.     

Domestication rewired gene expression and nucleotide diversity patterns in tomato

Plant domestication has led to considerable phenotypic modifications from wild species to modern varieties. However, although changes in key traits have been well documented, less is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms, such as the reduction of molecular diversity or global gene co‐expression patterns. In this study, we used a combination of gene expression and population genetics in wild and crop tomato to decipher the footprints of domestication. We found a set of 1729 differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the two genetic groups, belonging to 17 clusters of co‐expressed DEG, suggesting that domestication affected not only individual genes but also regulatory networks. Five co‐expression clusters were enriched in functional terms involving carbohydrate metabolism or epigenetic regulation of gene expression. We detected differences in nucleotide diversity between the crop and wild groups specific to DEG. Our study provides an extensive profiling of the rewiring of gene co‐expression induced by the domestication syndrome in one of the main crop species.     

Candidate genes underlying heritable differences in reproductive seasonality between wild and domestic rabbits

Reproductive seasonality is a trait that often differs between domestic animals and their wild ancestors, with domestic animals showing prolonged or even continuous breeding seasons. However, the genetic basis underlying this trait is still poorly understood for most species, and because environmental factors and resource availability are known to play an important role in determining breeding seasons, it is also not clear in most cases to what extent this phenotypic shift is determined by the more lenient captive conditions or by genetic factors. Here, using animals resulting from an initial cross between wild and domestic rabbits followed by two consecutive backcrosses (BC1 and BC2) to wild rabbits, we evaluated the yearly distribution of births for the different generations. Similar to domestic rabbits, F1 animals could be bred all year round but BC1 and BC2 animals showed a progressive and significant reduction in the span of the breeding season, providing experimental evidence that reduced seasonal breeding in domestic rabbits has a clear genetic component and is not a simple by‐product of rearing conditions. We then took advantage of a recently published genome‐wide scan of selection in the domesticated lineage and searched for candidate genes potentially associated with this phenotypic shift. Candidate genes located within regions targeted by selection include well‐known examples of genes controlling clock functions (CRY1 and NR3C1) and reproduction (PRLR).     

Mallard–Black Duck Hybridization and Population Genetic Structure in North Carolina

North Carolina, USA, represents the southern extent of the American black duck's (Anas rubripes) breeding range. Mallards (A. platyrhynchos) are present on the breeding grounds of the American black duck and hybridization is observed between these species; therefore, we assessed the genetic integrity, hybridization rates, and population structure of this local breeding population. We extracted genomic and mitochondrial DNA from chorioallantoic membranes and contour feathers from monitored black duck nests. We then prepared the extracted DNA for analysis using high-throughput DNA sequencing methods (ddRAD-seq). First, we assessed nuclear and mitochondrial population structure, genetic diversity, and differentiation across samples from North Carolina, and compared them against 199 genetically vetted mallards, black ducks, and mallard × black duck hybrids that served as genetic references. Next, we tested for parentage and sibling relationship and overall relatedness of black ducks in North Carolina. We recovered strong population structure and high co-ancestry across genetic markers due to interrelatedness among sampled nests in North Carolina and concluded that black ducks have been locally breeding in this area for a prolonged period of time. Despite a high level of interrelatedness among our samples, nucleotide diversity was similar to the reference continental black duck population, suggesting little effect of genetic drift, including inbreeding. Additionally, we conclude that molecular diversity of black ducks in North Carolina is maintained at reference population levels through the influx of genetic material from unrelated, migrating male black ducks. Finally, we report a hybridization level of 47.5%, covering 3 filial generations. Of identified hybrids, 54.7% and 53% were the direct result of interbreeding between black ducks and captive-reared or wild mallards, respectively. We conclude that because of high rates of interspecific hybridization and successive backcrossing events, introgression from wild and feral mallards is occurring into this population of breeding black ducks and requires careful consideration in future management efforts. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Biochemical characterization of digestive enzymes in the black soldier fly,Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is beneficial because its larvae feed on organic materials derived from plants, animals and humans and promote the recycling of food waste and organic materials. We investigated the biochemical properties of digestive enzymes released from the salivary gland and gut of the black soldier fly. Because the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae had high amylase, lipase and protease activities, we suggested that the black soldier fly might belong to the polyphagous insect group. In addition, a strong trypsin-like protease activity was observed in the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae. Higher activities of leucine arylamidase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, α-mannosidase and α-fucosidase were observed from the gut extracts of the black soldier fly larvae compared with those of house fly larvae. These findings may explain previous reports that the black soldier fly larvae can digest food wastes and organic materials more efficiently than any other known species of fly.     

Nature versus nurture? Consequences of short captivity in early stages

Biological changes occurring as a consequence of domestication and/or captivity are not still deeply known. In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), endangered (Southern Europe) populations are enhanced by supportive breeding, which involves only 6 months of captive rearing following artificial spawning of wild‐collected adults. In this work, we assess whether several fitness‐correlated life‐history traits (migratory behavior, straying rate, age at maturity, and growth) are affected by early exposure to the captive environment within a generation, before reproduction thus before genetic selection. Results showed significant differences in growth and migratory behavior (including straying), associated with this very short period of captivity in natural fish populations, changing even genetic variability (decreased in hatchery‐reared adults) and the native population structure within and between rivers of the species. These changes appeared within a single generation, suggesting very short time of captivity is enough for initiating changes normally attributed to domestication. These results may have potential implications for the long‐term population stability/viability of species subjected to restoration and enhancement processes and could be also considered for the management of zoo populations.     

Breeding of the Russian sable: Stages of industrial domestication and genetic variability

Creating farms for sable breeding was associated with the commercial destruction of natural populations and, consequently, the overall decline in the species number. The gene pool of the first farm-bred sable population in Russia, established in the vicinity of Moscow (“Pushkinskiy” fur farm), was formed by crossing of animals removed from nine natural populations. In the first eight years of farm operation, approximately one thousand animals were used for sable breeding; some of these animals were able to adapt to the farm management and, subsequently, to the selection for a number of quantitative traits in the period of industrial domestication. It took about ten years for breeders to work out the breeding and selection technologies, which became successfully employed in the established affiliated sable breeding farms. The main achievement in sable breeding over the 85-year historical period of breeding in Russia is the creation of two unique breeds, black sable (1969) and Saltykovskaya 1 (2007). In general, industrial domestication in fur farming and the subsequent breeding works made the fur of many species (mink, fox, Arctic fox) obtained from natural populations uncompetitive, which undoubtedly reduced the hunting interest in the animals living in the wild. Consequently, hunting for fur-bearing animals of most species decreased and has only local importance. Owing to the specific features of sable biology, the fur of farm-bred animals cannot yet completely replace the furs obtained by hunting; however, the farm-bred sable population is constantly growing. This review presents the results of the analysis of the level of genetic variability in natural and farm populations at nuclear and mitochondrial loci. The comparative analysis makes it possible to estimate the loss of genetic diversity upon the species adaptation to the new conditions of existence.     

Inference of domestication history and differentiation between early‐ and late‐flowering varieties in pearl millet

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a staple crop in Sahelian Africa. Farmers usually grow varieties with different cycle lengths and complementary functions in Sahelian agrosystems. Both the level of genetic differentiation of these varieties and the domestication history of pearl millet have been poorly studied. We investigated the neutral genetic diversity and population genetic structure of early‐ and late‐flowering domesticated and wild pearl millet populations using 18 microsatellite loci and 8 nucleotide sequences. Strikingly, early‐ and late‐flowering domesticated varieties were not differentiated over their whole distribution area, despite a clear difference in their isolation‐by‐distance pattern. Conversely, our data brought evidence for two well‐differentiated genetic pools in wild pearl millet, allowing us to test scenarios with different numbers and origins of domestication using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). The ABC analysis showed the likely existence of asymmetric migration between wild and domesticated populations. The model choice procedure indicated that a single domestication from the eastern wild populations was the more likely scenario to explain the polymorphism patterns observed in cultivated pearl millet.     

Identification of genetic factors controlling domestication-related traits of rice using an F2 population of a cross between Oryza sativa and O. rufipogon

 Domesticated rice differs from the wild progenitor in large arrays of morphological and physiological traits. The present study was conducted to identify the genetic factors controlling the differences between cultivated rice and its wild progenitor, with the intention to assess the genetic basis of the changes associated with the processes of rice domestication. A total of 19 traits, including seven qualitative and 12 quantitative traits, that are related to domestication were scored in an F₂ population from a cross between a variety of the Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) and an accession of the common wild rice (O. rufipogon). Loci controlling the inheritance of these traits were determined by making use of a molecular linkage map consisting of 348 molecular-marker loci (313 RFLPs, 12 SSRs and 23 AFLPs) based on this F₂ population. All seven qualitative traits were each controlled by a single Mendelian locus. Analysis of the 12 quantitative traits resolved a total of 44 putative QTLs with an average of 3.7 QTLs per trait. The amount of variation explained by individual QTLs ranged from a low of 6.9% to a high of 59.8%, and many of the QTLs accounted for more than 20% of the variation. Thus, genes of both major and minor effect were involved in the differences between wild and cultivated rice. The results also showed that most of the genetic factors (qualitative or QTLs) controlling the domestication-related traits were concentrated in a few chromosomal blocks. Such a clustered distribution of the genes may provide explanations for the genetic basis of the “domestication syndrome” observed in evolutionary studies and also for the “linkage drag” that occurs in many breeding programs. The information on the genetic basis of some desirable traits possessed by the wild parent may also be useful for facilitating the utilization of these traits in rice-breeding programs. Received: 1 June 1998 / Accepted: 28 July 1998     

Construction of a SSR-based genetic map and identification of QTL for domestication traits using recombinant inbred lines from a cross between wild and cultivated cowpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">V. unguiculata</Emphasis> (L.) Walp.)

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a grain legume commonly grown and consumed in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. A genetic linkage map was constructed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a recombinant inbred (RI) population of159 individuals derived from a cross between the breeding line 524B, a California Blackeye, and 219-01, a perennial wild cowpea from Kenya. Out of 912 primer combinations predicted to amplify SSRs in cowpea, 639 reliably produced amplification products in PCR assays and 202 (31.6%) were polymorphic between the two parents. These polymorphic SSRs were used to construct a genetic map consisting of 11 linkage groups (LGs) spanning 677 cM, with an average distance between markers of 3 cM. Agronomic traits related to domestication (seed weight, pod shattering) were analyzed together with the genotypic data. Six quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed size were revealed with the phenotypic variation ranging from 8.9 to 19.1%. Four QTL for pod shattering were identified with the phenotypic variation ranging from 6.4 to 17.2%. The QTL for seed size and pod shattering mainly cluster in two areas of LGs 1 and 10, facilitating the use of marker-assisted selection to eliminate undesirable wild phenotypes in breeding activities involving introgression of traits from wild germplasm. The generation of an SSR-based molecular map and additional trait-linked markers also contributes to the expanding tool kit available to cowpea breeders, especially in Africa.     

Genetic structure of cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cingulata) populations across managed,unmanaged, and natural habitats

The cherry fruit fly (CFF), Rhagoletis cingulata Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetini), is endemic to eastern North America and Mexico, where its primary native host is black cherry [Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae)]. Cherry fruit fly is also a major economic pest of the fruit of cultivated sweet (Prunus avium L.) and tart (Prunus cerasus L.) cherries. Adult CFF that attack wild black cherry and introduced, domesticated cherries in commercial and abandoned orchards are active at different times of the summer, potentially generating allochronic isolation that could genetically differentiate native from sweet and tart CFF populations. Here, we test for host‐related genetic differences among CFF populations in Michigan attacking cherries in managed, unmanaged, and native habitats by scoring flies for 10 microsatellite loci. Little evidence for genetic differentiation was found across the three habitats or between the northern and southern Michigan CFF populations surveyed in the study. Local gene flow between native black cherry, commercial, and abandoned orchards may therefore be sufficient to overcome seasonal differences in adult CFF activity and prevent differentiation for microsatellites not directly associated with (tightly linked to) genes affecting eclosion time. The results do not support the existence of host‐associated races in CFF and imply that flies attacking native, managed, and unmanaged cherries should be considered to represent a single population for pest management purposes.     

New insights into the history of domesticated and wild apricots and its contribution to Plum pox virus resistance

Studying domesticated species and their wild relatives allows understanding of the mechanisms of population divergence and adaptation, and identifying valuable genetic resources. Apricot is an important fruit in the Northern hemisphere, where it is threatened by the Plum pox virus (PPV), causing the sharka disease. The histories of apricot domestication and of its resistance to sharka are however still poorly understood. We used 18 microsatellite markers to genotype a collection of 230 wild trees from Central Asia and 142 cultivated apricots as representatives of the worldwide cultivated apricot germplasm; we also performed experimental PPV inoculation tests. The genetic markers revealed highest levels of diversity in Central Asian and Chinese wild and cultivated apricots, confirming an origin in this region. In cultivated apricots, Chinese accessions were differentiated from more Western accessions, while cultivated apricots were differentiated from wild apricots. An approximate Bayesian approach indicated that apricots likely underwent two independent domestication events, with bottlenecks, from the same wild population. Central Asian native apricots exhibited genetic subdivision and high frequency of resistance to sharka. Altogether, our results contribute to the understanding of the domestication history of cultivated apricot and point to valuable genetic diversity in the extant genetic resources of wild apricots.     

Genomic analyses provide comprehensive insights into the domestication of bast fiber crop ramie (Boehmeria nivea)

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is an economically important natural fiber-producing crop that has been cultivated for thousands of years in China; however, the evolution of this crop remains largely unknown. Here, we report a ramie domestication analysis based on genome assembly and resequencing of cultivated and wild accessions. Two chromosome-level genomes representing wild and cultivated ramie were assembled de novo. Numerous structural variations between two assemblies, together with the genetic variations from population resequencing, constituted a comprehensive genomic variation map for ramie. Domestication analysis identified 71 high-confidence selective sweeps comprising 320 predicted genes, and 29 genes from sweeps were associated with fiber growth in the expression. In addition, we identified seven genetic loci associated with the fiber yield trait in the segregated population derived from the crossing of two assembled accessions, and two of which showed an overlap with the selective sweeps. These findings indicated that bast fiber traits were focused on during the domestication history of ramie. This study sheds light on the domestication of ramie and provides a valuable resource for biological and breeding studies of this important crop.     

Comparison of genetic diversity at microsatellite loci and quantitative traits in hatchery populations of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

Relationships of genetic diversity at microsatellite loci and quantitative traits were examined in hatchery-produced populations of Japanese flounder using a relatively straightforward experiment. Five hatchery populations produced by wild-caught and domesticated broodstocks were used to examine the effects of different levels (one to three generations) of domestication on the genetic characteristics of hatchery populations. Allelic richness at seven microsatellite loci in all hatchery populations was lower than that in a wild population. Genetic variation measured by allelic richness and heterozygosity tended to decrease with an increase in generations of domestication. In addition, the degree of genetic differentiation from a wild population increased with an increase in generations of domestication. Significant differences in three morphometric traits (dorsal and anal fin ray counts and vertebral counts) and three physiological traits (high temperature, salinity and formalin tolerance) were observed among the hatchery populations. The degree of phenotypic difference among populations was larger in morphometric traits than in physiological traits. The divergence pattern of some quantitative traits was similar to that observed at microsatellite loci, suggesting that domestication causes the decrease of genetic variation and the increase of genetic differentiation for some quantitative traits concomitantly with those for microsatellite loci. Significant positive correlation was observed between F _ST and the degree of phenotypic difference in the three morphometric traits and formalin tolerance, indicating that genetic variation at microsatellite loci predicts the degree of phenotypic divergence in some quantitative traits.     

The potential of soil amendment with insect exuviae and frass to control the cabbage root fly

Reliable options to control the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum L., are lacking in many countries as restrictions on insecticide use have tightened due to environmental concerns. Although microbial control agents are often considered as a sustainable alternative, their application in agriculture is constrained by inconsistent efficacy owing to low field persistence. To stimulate naturally occurring beneficial microbes, soil amendment with the residual streams of insect production has been suggested as an alternative to synthetic fertilization and a new approach to microbial crop protection. In a set of greenhouse experiments, exuviae and frass of black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens L., house crickets, Acheta domesticus L. and exuviae of mealworms, Tenebrio molitor L., were added to soil from an organically managed field. Exuviae and frass treatments were compared to treatments with synthetic fertilizer. Brussels sprouts, Brassica oleracea L., plants were grown in amended soil for 5 weeks before being infested with cabbage root fly larvae. Insect and plant performance were assessed by recording cabbage root fly survival, biomass and eclosion time and seed germination and plant biomass, respectively. Whereas soil amendment with black soldier fly frass or exuviae reduced cabbage root fly survival and biomass, respectively, amendment with house cricket or mealworm residual streams did not negatively affect root fly performance. Furthermore, seed germination was reduced in soil amended with house cricket exuviae, while amendment with either residual stream derived from black soldier fly larvae or house crickets resulted in lower plant shoot biomass compared with the synthetic fertilizer treatment. Amending soil with black soldier fly residual streams could become a novel and low-cost tool to be integrated in cabbage root fly management programmes, especially where methods currently available are insufficient. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying the effects of insect-derived soil amendments described here should be the focus of future research.