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< Community Wire Next Article> Microbiome Research in Piglets Applicable to Other Species and Crops Bruce Cochrane 17 Apr 2023 Updates on research outcomes with Dr. Etienne Yergeau - University of Quebec 00:00 / 02:39 Research conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc that has shown the use of alternative feed supplements to modulate the microbiota in the gut of the piglet can stimulate weight gain and improve health has implications for other species and crops. As part of research conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in partnership with several Canadian universities with funding from Swine Innovation Porc, scientists have been evaluating the response of the piglet microbiome to alternative feeding supplements. Dr. Etienne Yergeau, an Associate Professor with the University of Quebec, says some changes were observed in the microbiota and there were also changes in piglet weight gain they were not as large as the control that used antibiotic supplements. Clip-Dr. Etienne Yergeau-University of Quebec: This project was very exciting in the sense that we were able to modulate a little bit the microbiota. It shows that this is something that could be done to replace the use of antibiotics as a growth supplement. How can we apply that? I think it's more conceptually, how we can try to modify the microbiota for the benefit of the host. Of course, most people are interested in a human host but it's also something that would be done in farm animals and also in my laboratory, we're very interested in crops. That's something also, how can we change the microbiota? I think the results we have in this study are showing that it can be done and it's not something impossible. Now we need to dig more to find if we can apply that to other animals and eventually to humans also. The question is, is there some food supplement that would act directly on the microbiota and have a more beneficial microbiota? Dr. Yergeau says this work shows there are other ways to get the result of the antibiotics without having the side effect of antibiotic resistance. < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> Survey Shows Improved Pork Production Efficiency and Reduced Environmental Footprint Over 30 Years Bruce Cochrane 6 Jun 2023 Dr. Mario Tenuta with the University of Manitoba discusses results of a survey of the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability." 00:00 / 02:42 Farmscape for June 6, 2023 A survey of Canadian pork producers shows an across-the-board improvement in the efficiency of pork production and a reduction of the sector's environmental foot print over the past 30 years. Scientists with the University of Manitoba, on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, coordinated the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability." Dr. Mario Tenuta, the Senior Industrial Research Chair in 4R Nutrient Stewardship and a Professor of Soil Ecology with the University of Manitoba, explains the survey was open to pork producers across Canada and was conducted to quantify improvements in production efficiency and paint a clearer picture of the pork sector's environmental footprint. Clip-Dr. Mario Tenuta-University of Manitoba: Efficiencies of production have improved from 1990 to 2020 and the efficiency of production in terms of throughput of live carcass weight for the same amount of feed and time and so forth have improved by a good eight to 10 percent. Then related with all indicators of production efficiency and also environmental indicators have improved, showing we're using resources better to produce more pig products. You name it, it's improved, in terms of water, electricity or fuel and feed all improved. There is a number of reasons for this. One of them is the genetics of our animals are better than 30 years ago. Another is that there's advances that we've had technology wise, barn design, how we heat and cool, move manure, store manure have improved and then also the utilization of available feedstuffs for mixing rations, in particular the use of coproducts. Dr. Tenuta says it's positive to see the pork sector on this trajectory and we can identify areas of improved trajectory for the near future. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Back Nutrition Milking it: Boosting Returns with a Replacement Gilt Diet Maximizing milk yield can minimize costs for producers In a sector where things aren’t always cut and dried, there is at least one certainty: Piglets need milk, and an adequate supply is crucial for their development. Unfortunately, sows don’t produce sufficient milk to optimize piglet growth. As well, the introduction of hyperprolific sow lines (ones that often give birth to more piglets than their functional teats) has made the problem greater by increasing litter size. As a result, there is less milk available per piglet, leading to lower weaning weights. With sufficient milk in their system, piglets will be heavier at weaning, have greater vigor and be more resistant to disease challenges. They will also require fewer days to reach market weight, something producers currently address with creep feeding (providing a solid diet to piglets while they are suckling the sow, preparing their digestive system for weaning). Though creep feeding can be effective, it is also expensive, so science went in search of a more viable option. Got Milk? Taking up the challenge was Dr. Chantal Farmer, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Sherbrooke, Quebec. To address the milk shortage, Dr. Farmer sought to increase milk yield through enhanced mammary development, taking a multi-pronged approach: Feeding fiber With gilts growing faster these days, they often encounter leg issues, prompting some producers to slow that growth by restricting feed intake. This can be problematic, as Dr. Farmer had previously shown that a feed reduction of 20% between day 90 and puberty inhibits mammary development. With that in mind, she teamed up with Dr. Lee-Anne Huber at the University of Guelph. They found that either using that same 20% decrease in feed intake or feeding an ad libitum diet (as much as the pig wants) with 25% more fiber could have a similar effect. Both approaches will reduce the growth rate of current gilt lines (that consume more feed compared with older lines) without lowering milk yield. Need lysine? Try soybean In the last third of gestation, mammary development is very rapid; however, there seems to be an underestimate of the recommendation for the dietary amino acid lysine during that crucial time. By putting more soybean meal in feed, researchers managed to boost lysine levels by 40%, which increased the amount of milk synthesizing tissue in the mammary gland by 40% as well. Like farmers, scientists can’t stand still, so they will look to further benefit producers down the road by testing the lysine effect on multi-parity sows as well. Prolactin is pro-milk Prolactin is a hormone that plays a critical role in enabling mammals to produce milk. In the past, the hormone has been injected to raise prolactin levels in sows and increase milk yield. Through this study, researchers examined the potential for a drug called domperidone. This drug helps the body increase its own production of prolactin, and is even used by women who can’t supply enough breast milk after giving birth. With a veterinary prescription for use with sows, domperidone can be added to feed to stimulate prolactin, replacing the need for hormone injections. Given the current scrutiny around added hormones for animals, this could mean a better image for the industry as a whole. As well, when the project team tested the drug that aids pigs in synthesizing more prolactin, they saw an average increase of 5.6% in body weight for piglets at day 22. As with much in life, timing is critical for increasing prolactin. Prior to puberty, the gilt’s physiology is not equipped to reap the benefits from the drug; for best results, it needs to be incorporated in the diet during lactation. Though all aspects of the study hold promise, the raising of recommended lysine levels in the gestation diet may be most critical. At present, some in the industry still assume that replacement gilts can be fed like market pigs, and that is simply not the case. Hungry for More Ultimately, this study was the product of cooperation. While Dr. Farmer provided expertise in swine lactation biology, Dr. Huber brought her extensive knowledge of swine nutrition. Work was done at both the University of Guelph and Universite De Sherbrooke, providing opportunities for new graduate students at these institutions. Building on this study, researchers want to answer a key question related to the beneficial effect of an increase in soybean meal on mammary development of gilts in late gestation: Is that benefit really due to the increase in lysine, or to other components of the soybean meal? With the high cost of production these days, anything that stimulates the mammary system should be a stimulating topic for years to come. Publication links FARMER C, Palin M-F, Hovey RC, Falt TD, Huber LA. 2022. Dietary supplementation with lysine stimulates mammary development in late-pregnant gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 100: 1-11. doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac051 . Gregory NL, FARMER C, Friendship RM, Huber LA. 2023. The effect of moderate energy and protein restriction during gilt development on changes in body weight and backfat depth and subsequent lactation performance. J. Anim. Sci. 101: 1-11. doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac351 . Background Project Title: New feeding and management strategies for replacement gilts that will maximize future milk yield. Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Chantal Farmer (AAFC- RDC Sherbrooke) Budget: $475,920 Priority Area(s): Nutrition Research Methods Eighty-eight gilts were recruited to determine the effects of moderate energy and protein restriction during the development period. Gilts were randomly assigned to one of four feeding programs: 1) standard commercial diet fed ad libitum; 2) standard commercial diet fed 10% or 3) 20% below ad libitum, or 4) a high–fiber diet fed ad libitum. The gilts were housed individually and received the feeding programs between 90 and 190 days of age, and standard gestation and lactation diets thereafter.

< Back Quality A Cut Above: Enhancing Pork Classification Through Quality A "Made in Canada" Solution Focusing on delivering quality products makes for happier, repeat customers. When you’re already positioned as a leader in pork production and export, there’s only one thing left to do: strengthen that position. For agricultural commodities, classification and grading systems are the cornerstone of branding and reputation. These systems play a key role in marketing for end users by measuring and communicating the specifications that a buyer can expect. One example is the ‘Prime’ and ‘AAA’ grades used in the Canadian beef industry, which are recognized as a mark of exceptional quality. For pork, Canada’s grading system has primarily been focused on factors like carcass lean meat yield and weight, leaving a gap when it comes to indicating quality. By looking at the tools used to measure pork quality, research is now carving a path towards higher value and stronger competitiveness through the grading of quality. Using Quality to Boost Competitiveness It may sound obvious, but if you have high-quality pork, using quality as a means of grading it for buyers might be helpful in growing sales and earning top dollar for packers and producers. With that in mind, some industry stakeholders have been championing a primal cut grading system to arm customers with in-depth knowledge of expected quality for Canadian pork products. There is now growing recognition across the value chain about the importance of consistency and quality assurance in meeting the demands of various markets around the globe. As a result, two researchers, Dr. Manuel Juarez with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Dr. Laurence Maignel with the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, have been tapped to investigate grading techniques. As researchers began investigating quality grading techniques used by packers, they identified significant opportunities for improvement. While buyers are willing to pay for quality traits, enhancing packer revenue in the process, those traits are often still being measured with a subjective, rather than objective, approach. Unfortunately, these subjective methods lack the consistency and accuracy that premium buyers request from their suppliers. Research to the Rescue Clearly, more objective grading methods are needed. In response, scientists have sought to assess and improve current technologies for gauging quality and identify areas of the carcass that could be evaluated for loin color, marbling scores and firmness. Although some such tools existed, they tended to be bulky, pricey and time-consuming, so were rarely used. However, the study unearthed less expensive options for classification that worked as well or better than the costly ones. These tools ranged from hand-held near-infrared spectroscopy devices to new colour standards and belly sorters based on firmness. Up For Adoption Before long, packers began adopting these technologies and working with the research team to incorporate them at their plants. Because flexibility was key to widespread acceptance by industry, researchers ensured that the chosen tools were adaptable for packers depending on their clients and facilities. The systems work equally well in a small plant processing 100 pigs per day and one with a volume of 2,000. For packers, it means they can now classify cuts based on quality with a high degree of accuracy, while using fewer workers to do the job, boosting sales and improving pork prices for the sector as a whole. This should enhance client satisfaction and also benefit producers, as packers could favour and compensate producers delivering exceptional pigs on a consistent basis. Collaborating Towards Quality For their part, Drs. Juarez and Maignel are excited about what lies ahead, including a robotic arm that could work for plants wanting full automation, and a spinoff project looking at the use of a voice-controlled headset to evaluate pork loins. In the meantime, they are pleased with the project results and the ongoing support from industry partners. Considering that these scientists are working to give the Canadian pork sector a competitive edge on the world stage, they feel confident that packers, producers and consumers will share their excitement. Background Project Title: Classifying Canadian pork based on quality attributes. Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Manuel Juárez (AAFC Lacombe) Budget: $1.23 Million Priority Areas: Quality Research Methods The research team realized that a national pork grading system in Canada wouldn’t find easy acceptance from packers, as they are in competition with one another. In response, the team sat down for monthly meetings with major processors to discuss the project in general. They then met individually with each packer to test different tools in different plants for a range of purposes. For example, they adapted an instrument for one company to measure pork belly fat quality. This was important, as a belly with soft fat cannot be used, for example, to produce bacon. For another packer, researchers found a means of better measuring pork color, the main attribute influencing buyers’ decisions at the retail level. Reacting to client needs, the team also developed a marbling meter that quickly calculates the marbling score for a pork chop.

< Community Wire Next Article> Canadian Scientists Evaluate Alternative Feeding Supplements Bruce Cochrane 5 Jul 2023 Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade discusses alternative feeding supplements 00:00 / 02:40 Farmscape for June 28, 2023 Swine Cluster 3 research has explored the prospects of displacing antibiotics with alternative feeding supplements that will improve the gut function of the peri-weaning piglet. With support from Swine Innovation Porc, a multi-institutional team of scientists has looked at the response of the piglet's gut microbiome to alternative feeding supplements. Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says the performance of pigs fed a control diet consisting of 35 percent naked oats was compared to diets supplemented with bovine colostrum, with medium-chain fatty acids and yeast extract, with all three compounds and with the antibiotic chlortetracycline. Quote-Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade-Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: The feed disappearance and weight gain data confirmed that the piglets subjected to the chlortetracycline ate more than all other piglets in this study, and accordingly, gained more weight. This was initially seen as a trend during the 14 to 22 days period, and then confirmed over the two weeks after weaning until the end of treatment's administration. Interestingly, all feed conversion rates were similar, regardless of diet. The three experimental feeds did not match the chlortetracycline performance in terms of feed intake. The treatments did not impact the adaptive immune response against ovalbumin. This was coherent with the lack of treatment effect on abundance of B lymphocytes. We also observed negligible effect of the treatments on the immune and oxidative statuses of the animals. And the dietary supplements had only mild effects on the intestinal fermentation processes as monitored with pH variability, and no significant differences were observed concerning the intestinal volatile fatty acid concentrations. The diet treatments did modulate the microbiota composition and structure, but an additional sampling time point 10 days after weaning would have provided a better picture of the stabilized microbiota and sustainable impact of the feed supplements. Dr. Poulin-Laprade acknowledges the supplements tested with the naked oat diet were not detrimental but they fell short of mimicking the animal performance obtained using prophylactic antibiotics. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> Researchers Work to Replace Antibiotics with Probiotics in Treating Diarrhea in Post Weaned Pigs Bruce Cochrane 29 Mar 2023 An interview with Dr. Joshua Gong - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 00:00 / 02:37 A multi-institutional team of scientists is conducting research aimed at replacing antibiotics with probiotic bacteria to combat diarrhea in nursery pigs. In response to public concerns over antibiotic use in livestock production and the potential for antibiotic resistance, scientists with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the University of Manitoba, the University of Guelph and the University of Saskatchewan with funding from Swine Innovation Porc are working to develop viable alternatives to antibiotics to improve pig gut health, targeting Enterotoxigenic E. Coli infection and piglet diarrhea in nursery pigs. Dr. Joshua Gong, a Senior Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says antibiotic resistance threatens public health and food safety. Clip-Dr. Joshua Gong-Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: We are focused on probiotics and enzymes. For the probiotics research we focused on the probiotics selection, development and evaluation. We have identified bacillus isolates that have good potential to reduce pig diarrhea. If those selected probiotics can be used in the production of the piglets, that can reduce the use of antibiotics in feed and promote sustainable production of the pigs. In addition, this project has contributed to the improvement of encapsulation of heat sensitive probiotics. That technology has been adopted by a Canadian company located in Alberta. Dr. Gong notes the probiotic research has generated a number of peer-reviewed publications, results have been presented at various symposiums and the information can also be used by related industries, scientific communities and regulatory agencies. < Community Wire Next Article >

< Back Animal Health, Biosecurity The “Dirt” on Cleaner Trailers Science Helps to Scrub Out PED The pork sector is full of acronyms: ADG (average daily gain); FCR (feed conversion ratio); and of course, BYOB. For producers, the one they could do without is PED. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and often mortality, has wreaked havoc on pigs around the world, and science is helping to combat it on a number of fronts. Most recently, researchers targeted a common mode of disease transmission – trailers – as they strove to improve cleaning methods and boost biosecurity in the Canadian swine transport industry. What started as an effort to save time and money when cleaning hog trailers took on added meaning in early 2014. That was when the federal agriculture minister called industry with a chilling pronouncement: “PED is now in Canada”. The disease that first hit North America in the United States, costing their pork sector billions of dollars, was here, and producers were in panic mode. PED prevention partners For guidance on how to proceed, the federal government and pork producers asked the University of Saskatchewan to lead efforts to stop the transmission of PED and other diseases that can result from transporting animals. Researchers consulted with a PED advisory committee comprised of members from across the country, including transport companies, provincial pork associations, packers, producers and swine veterinarians. Together, the parties identified priorities around PED prevention, starting with how to clean trailers thoroughly enough that no trace of the virus remained on board. Working with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, scientists devised a high-pressure washer and vacuum system that would reach every corner of a trailer and blast out clumps of manure or any other material that might harbour PED. The washer was a good start, so the next step was developing a remotely controlled system that would allow complete cleaning of trucks without the need for human workers entering the trailer. This involved trying different technologies, including a small robot vehicle used by the military to pick up explosive packages and safely detonate them. Eventually, the project partnered with Truck Wash Technologies Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to advance its gantry-style wash system for their purposes. This system moves across the length of the vehicle in multiple passes, simultaneously cleaning the exterior and interior of swine transport trailers. Feeling the heat Researchers were also tasked with finding the optimal level at which to heat trailers, so that if any trace of the pathogen remained after washing, it would be deactivated. Collaborating with VIDO-InterVac in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the research team concluded that heating the trucks at 75°C for 20 minutes would be sufficient to kill the threat. Sensor-ship The challenge with heating was that some areas of a hog trailer, such as behind gates and walls, can be harder to warm sufficiently. In response, the team looked for sensors that could be installed in trailer trouble spots and monitor temperatures. Though they found a company that specialized in sensors to assist in this effort, it overlooked one small detail: pigs eat sensors. Undeterred, the University of Saskatchewan engineers collaborated with the sensor company, Transport Genie in Burlington, Ontario, to develop sensors and insulate them properly to protect against curious snouts. The new sensors deliver GPS traceability of swine transport trailers, continuously measure environmental conditions during transport of animals and verify that trailer trouble spots reach the required time and temperature during heat treatment. Idle threats? Not a chance Though the early panic from PED in Canada has subsided, it and other diseases continue to threaten the swine sector. Thanks to this project, the risk of transmitting pathogens during transport has been drastically reduced, saving producers millions of dollars per year from illness and death loss. Findings from the study have raised the biosecurity bar, and heating trailers at 75°C for 20 minutes is now the industry standard. Based on this project, Prairie Swine Centre has developed guidelines to assist designers in considering animal welfare and biosecurity with new trailers. As a further benefit, scientists are working with trucking companies to install their sensors, not only for biosecurity, but to warn drivers when the temperature and humidity levels are endangering their pig passengers. Apart from enhancing animal welfare, this move will aid both trucking companies and packers, as each is responsible for the pigs once in their possession. Driven by the project lead, Dr. Terry Fonstad, Associate Vice-President Research (Ethics and Infrastructure) at the University of Saskatchewan, this study drew on funding from Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) and expertise from several corners: Prairie Swine Centre, PAMI, Truck Wash Technologies Inc., Transport Genie Ltd, the PED advisory committee and VIDO-InterVac. Arms race As the world learned the hard way from COVID-19, we must always stay a step ahead of the enemy. In that spirit, researchers are addressing what happens if a trace amount of virus survives washing and heating of the trailer and imbeds itself in a biofilm for self-protection. A biofilm is a thick layer of organisms that gather to form a colony. With the attention garnered by their findings, researchers are now fielding calls from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) about other diseases of concern, such as African Swine Fever (ASF), and how to defend against them. Background Project Title: Improving Biosecurity in the Canadian Swine Transport Industry Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Terry Fonstad (University of Saskatchewan) Budget: $1.46 Million Research Methods Working with the lab at the VIDO-InterVac research facility, scientists had them test the seven most common viruses, and seven most common bacteria, in the Canadian pork sector. All 14 were tested at various heat levels – ranging from 50-80°C - for different periods of time to gauge the optimal conditions to neutralize the bacteria. While heat eventually destroyed them all, certain ones succumbed at 45-50°C, others needed 65°C, and PED was the hardiest of all at 75°C for at least 15 minutes.

< Community Wire Next Article> Survey Shows Increased Pork Productivity and Efficiency and Decreased Environmental Footprint Bruce Cochrane 14 Jul 2023 Dr. Mario Tenuta discusses results of the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability" 00:00 / 02:40 Farmscape for July 14, 2023 An analysis of Canadian pork production over the past 30 years shows a continued increase in efficiency and productivity and a shrinking of the sector's environmental footprint. As part of the "Canadian Pig Production Practices Survey for Improved Economic and Environmental Viability", conducted on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc, pork producers across Canada were asked about all aspects of pork production, including the design, floor space, stage of growth and throughputs of their barns, the composition and source of diets, including inputs for producing and transporting the ingredients, everything associated with manure management as well as energy and water use. Dr. Mario Tenuta, the Senior Industrial Research Chair in 4R Nutrient Stewardship and a Professor of Soil Ecology with the University of Manitoba, says the study shows from 1990 to 2020 the efficiency of producing pork improved by a good eight to 10 percent. Quote-Dr. Mario Tenuta-University of Manitoba: You name it, it's improved, in terms of water, electricity or fuel, feed all improved and there is a number of reasons for this. One of them is genetics. Another is that there's advances that we've had technology wise and then also the utilization of available coproducts from the general food industry and then also distiller’s industries or ethanol or alcohol consumption, so we see a lot more dried distiller’s grains for example. Then utilization of meal, so the coproducts from oil production and particularly canola. It's really positive for the industry to see this trajectory that we've had and I think we can identify areas of improved trajectory for the near future. Dr. Tenuta suggests, if we change the diet even more, continue to improve barn design, go to renewable energy sources and further modernise production we can anticipate additional improvements. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> Synthesized Sugar Based Vaccines Allow Pigs' Immune Systems to Recognize Strep Suis Bruce Cochrane 27 Sept 2023 Dr. Todd Lowary discusses new compounds that assist the pigs' immune to recognise Strep suis 00:00 / 02:47 Farmscape for September 27, 2023 Scientists with the Universities of Montreal and Alberta are developing new compounds that will allow the immune system of the pig to recognise and respond to Strep suis. Researchers with the University of Montreal and the University of Alberta, with funding provided by Swine Innovation Pork, have developed a Streptococcus suis vaccine based on the protective sugar coating that envelopes the bacteria and to improve production capability are synthesising that sugar. Dr. Todd Lowary, an organic chemist and professor emeritus with the University of Alberta's Department of Chemistry, explains his team creates complex sugar molecules by using smaller pieces to make longer chain carbohydrates, much like putting beads on a string, and these molecules are then used in the formulation of vaccines. Quote-Dr. Todd Lowary-University of Alberta: All bacteria are coated with a layer of sugar and these sugars do a number of things. It keeps the surface of the bacteria intact. It also interacts with the immune system of the host and these are good antigens, so they're good for vaccine development. If you go about this there are a couple of ways that you can think about developing a vaccine based on this sugar. One is to take the sugar that you isolate from nature and use that. The problem with that approach is that doing that isolation can be quite challenging and it's very difficult to get large quantities of material. The other approach, that we have done, is to build this up from the bottom up essentially, using chemistry. There are advantages in the sense that we can make more amounts of material, we can generally make things in higher purity but the disadvantage is that it's slower so, at the moment, we're trying to figure out the best way to make these so that it can be sped up and be more economical. Certainly, the structures of these sugars have been known for a long time so it provides us a roadmap to know what we make. It's important to have that information before we go in to try to make something. Dr. Lowary says his lab has created several of these sugars, all of which have been tested and some of which have worked out. He says the next steps are to streamline the approach and look at different vaccine formulations focussing on improving performance and bringing down the cost of manufacturing. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> Actinobacillus Pleuropneumoniae Bacteria Provides Molecules to Fight PRRS Bruce Cochrane ​ Dr. Carl Gagnon discusses the use of molecules secreted by an infectious bacterial agent to develop new antiviral drugs to treat viral infections 00:00 / 02:35 Farmscape for August 18, 2023 Researchers with the University of Montreal are using molecules secreted by an infectious bacterial agent to develop new antiviral drugs to treat viral infections. While exploring the interactions between the virus responsible for PRRS and other disease-causing pathogens, researchers with the University of Montreal discovered that molecules secreted by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae inhibit the replication of the PRRS virus. Dr. Carl Gagnon, a professor with the University of Montreal and a member of the swine and poultry infectious disease research center, says with support from Swine Innovation Porc scientists are exploring the mechanisms involved with an end goal being the control of PRRS. Quote-Dr. Carl Gagnon-University of Montreal: It's very important to reduce the impact of PRRS viruses and to reduce the infection of PRRS. Of course, if we have pharmaceutical products that can be applied during an outbreak, it could have a very very positive impact. Every drug has to be prescribed by a veterinary practitioner but, at the end, the end user and the swine industry are who will benefit. If it can save animals, then less mortality in a barn will present during an outbreak and if you are able to control the reduction of abortion in pregnant sows then it's a big advantage. So, it will be positive for the producer, for the overall swine industry but we're not there yet. I hope you understand that. We still have to continue to work on that. What was the most interesting at the moment was that we were able to find different molecules from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae that have an antiviral effect and we just started to investigate that. Dr. Gagnon notes these types of molecule, known as nucleoside analogs, are already found in antiviral drugs used to treat disease in humans. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Back Nutrition, Sustainability Save On Feed and Plump Up the Profit Research Has Finger on the Pulses With the high price of pig feed these days, anything that lowers your cost is easy to swallow. Science is constantly seeking new ways to do that, and a recent study found that pulses, especially faba bean, could help trim the expense. Pulse power In a bid to diversify energy and protein for pig diets, University of Alberta researchers have been looking at increasing the inclusion of locally grown pulses in feed. Apart from reducing feed cost, there are a number of agronomic and sustainability benefits to growing pulses. In addition to fixing atmospheric nitrogen (N) in symbiosis with root bacteria, pulses aid in diversifying soil microbial populations and nutrient uptake. If that’s not enough, they also break pest and disease cycles in yearly crop rotation with cereal grains and oilseeds. This study looked at the potential for faba beans, which offer greater yield compared to field peas, fewer inputs in relation to other crops, and a lower carbon footprint than sourcing animal forms of protein. However, the inclusion of faba beans in swine diets has been limited by its content of antinutritional factors like tannins and vicine and covicine. Antinutritional factors are components in food that can reduce nutrient use or feed intake. In response, researchers have found solutions through this study by identifying more suitable faba bean cultivars for producers. Faba takes flight When faba beans were first introduced to Western Canada about 20 years ago, their high tannin content served as a double-edged sword. The tannins helped guard the crop from early frost damage in the fall, but they gave the beans a bitter taste, rendering them of limited value for inclusion in pig diets. To improve their feed potential, a new white-flowered cultivar named Snowbird was introduced. While its lower tannin level improved feed potential, that came at the expense of reduced protection against early frost. In a nutshell (or bean pod), the dilemma was this: How could science achieve the best of both worlds for producers, rendering the beans effective as a crop and a feed source? For a solution, crop researchers have reduced the level of tannin to retain frost protection while enhancing digestibility of the bean. Though producers also receive low tannin levels with Snowbird, they lose frost protection in the process . In the course of this study, University of Alberta researchers found that faba bean cultivars with moderate amounts of tannin could still be included in pig diets, provided that the cultivar was also low in vicine and covicine – the anti-nutritional factors. This was a notable breakthrough for producers, as it meant they could reduce their risk of frost damage while growing faba bean for both food and feed without harmful effects. It pays to be picky To maximize the benefit of adding faba beans to a rotation, it’s important to do your homework before choosing the best variety for your farm. Among faba bean cultivars with moderate tannin content, researchers found Fabelle to be a top choice for feed intake and weight gain. Across cultivars, variations in dietary fiber and starch content contribute to differences in dry matter, energy digestibility and growth performance of pigs – which can all impact the bottom line. On the other hand, while ensuring that a cultivar will benefit your pigs is obviously paramount, this also needs to be weighed against yield impacts from reduced frost protection. Having established the viability of faba beans in reducing feed cost, scientists on this study feel that getting that message to the end user is critical. For the findings to be adopted, pig producers must be convinced that pulse grains like faba bean are cost effective. By replacing expensive soybean meal with the less costly faba bean as a protein source, while maintaining growth performance, producers can reduce feed cost per unit of growth. Digesting the results Though researchers found that the antinutritional factors in faba beans may slightly reduce a pig’s ability to digest nutrients, this should not hamper growth if producers consider that fact when formulating diets. For feeding pigs, medium levels of tannins in faba bean are acceptable, provided that vicine and covicine levels are limited. This study was led by Dr. Eduardo Beltranena, pork research scientist at the University of Alberta. In the barn and lab, graduate student Protus Nyende did the legwork, ensuring that all trials were completed accurately. The project was supported with funding from Swine Innovation Porc and Alberta Pork, which was provided to Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra. As its next order of business, the team plans to delve deeper into characterizing faba bean cultivars and gaining a better picture of what is happening with this ingredient in western Canada. Wherever that may take them, they know their work to date should take a bite out of producer costs. Now THAT’S food for though t. Background Project Title: Reducing feed cost and the environmental footprint and enhancing global competitiveness of Canadian pork production by increased nutrient utilization of feedstuffs fed to growing-finishing pigs. Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra (University of Alberta) Budget: $353 844 Research Methods Novel faba bean cultivars vary in nutrient content, digestibility and antinutritional factors that must be characterized to realize predictable growth performance in growing pigs. As part of the study, four diets were fed to eight barrows -weighing 37.5 kg each - for four 9-day periods to establish energy and nutrient digestibility. Those diets were comprised of 950 g faba bean/kg. The diets included two with zero-tannin cultivars (both with moderate levels of vicine and covicine) and two with mid-tannin cultivars (one low in vicine and covicine and one high in those factors).

< Back Nutrition, Animal Health Gut Check: A New Approach to Weanling Gut Health Novel feed additive beats down bad bacteria It may seem beyond our grasp, but making pigs more resistant to disease, while reducing the use of antibiotics, is well within reach. Swine diseases associated with gut bacteria are regarded as the top risk factors for disrupting normal pork production, and this is especially true for weanling pigs. Weanlings often experience gut disruption brought on by enteric diseases (infections occurring in the gastrointestinal system), poor digestion of nutrients or a shortage of alkaline phosphatase (AP), an enzyme in the gut that helps maintain the gut micro-environment. Gut Reaction In response to these pig health issues, a research team led by Dr. Ming Fan, University of Guelph, worked on enhancing AP efficiency. That may sound complex, but the end goal was simple: a healthier gut, leading to healthier pigs that would grow faster without the burden of infectious disease. This would also limit the demand for antibiotics, reducing the threat that antimicrobial resistance in the pork sector poses to public health. In recent years, scientists have discovered the critical role of APs in maintaining gut health, thereby protecting both pigs and people from the toxins that are produced by pathogenic microbes in the gut. These toxins frequently trigger disease, and while swine are akin to humans physiologically, there is a key difference in the effectiveness of APs between the two. In the human body, APs perform like a finely tuned sports car, doing their job smoothly as they coat our cells and guard them from invaders. By contrast, in weanling pigs, their own APs are more like clunkers, often breaking down and failing to thwart these intruders. Fine Tuning Feeds for Health In the interests of giving pig APs a “tune up”, researchers sought to develop feed additives. These would take the form of external AP enzymes that are not naturally produced by the body but could be added to pig diets to fortify their gut response. After much study, scientists created an enzyme that shows great potential in advancing the pig gut micro-environment and helping the animal to resist disease. Of course, as with most great discoveries, there is still one large mountain to climb before it leads to black ink for industry: red tape. Because the enzyme is a microbial product, it is highly regulated. Prior to making it available for use by producers, much data is needed to ensure the product is safe, effective and environmentally friendly. As part of the registration process, the federal government must also confirm that its biological working mechanisms are clearly revealed as a novel microbial product, since nobody else has developed and commercialized a similar product in the past. From Health to Wealth Once the team secures government approval, the newly developed enzyme could become a valuable new tool for industry. The product could support faster and more efficient growth for pigs, while precluding the need for antibiotics to promote health. Though primarily targeting weanling pigs, as swine is more vulnerable when younger, this enzyme may also aid feeder pigs and sows in a similar manner. Though antibiotics have been a powerful weapon for decades in the fight against human and animal diseases, the landscape has clearly shifted. Today, the use of such drugs is under increasing scrutiny in the eyes of the public and faces growing concerns about antimicrobial resistance. These circumstances enhance the appeal of feed additives, like AP enzymes that strengthen natural immune defenses while developing treatments that balance the health of people, animals and the environment. Building a Path from Lab to Barn Against that backdrop, a new weapon was required to aid pigs and producers, and finding it was the ultimate team effort. Scientists relied on financial support from industry partners like Ontario Pork, as well as cluster funding from research bodies including Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). Apart from the dollars, this “made in Canada” solution relied heavily on lab technology at the University of Guelph and the brain power of researchers, associates and students. In the journey from lab to barn, however, several steps remain. Now that the essential research and efficacy testing is complete, the team must work on technology transfer to universities, businesses and governments. This process helps ensure that the scientific and technological developments from the project are available to a wider range of users, who can then help develop them further. From there, it is on to intellectual property protection, government approval and, ideally, commercialization of the product. As a course of further study, scientists hope to explore the effects on soil fertility of applying manure from pigs who consume this enzyme. They also want to look more closely at the possible benefits of the enzyme in sow diets. Background Project Title: Development of Novel Feed Additives to Replace Antibiotics and Promote Pig Gut Health Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Ming Fan (University of Guelph) Budget: $329 125 Research Methods Through conducting this project, researchers have obtained efficacy studies data that must be reviewed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prior to approval of the AP enzyme. They are also working on supporting documentation for a staged consultation process with the CFIA. Once they obtain registration and approval for the AP enzyme as a novel microbial gut modifier feed additive for the Canadian feed industry for pigs, this may eventually lead to feed applications to other sectors of livestock production. Upon submission for CFIA registration and approval, their AP enzyme data will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal for publishing into the public domain. They anticipate that this process will conclude by early next year.