Environmental impacts of precision feeding programs applied in pig production

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect that switching from conventional to precision feeding systems during the growing-finishing phase would have on the potential environmental impact of Brazilian pig production. Standard life-cycle assessment procedures were used, with a cradle-to-farm gate boundary. The inputs and outputs of each interface of the life cycle (production of feed ingredients, processing in the feed industry, transportation and animal rearing) were organized in a model. Grain production was independently characterized in the Central-West and South regions of Brazil, whereas the pigs were raised in the South region. Three feeding programs were applied for growing-finishing pigs: conventional phase feeding by group (CON); precision daily feeding by group (PFG) (whole herd fed the same daily adjusted diet); and precision daily feeding by individual (PFI) (diets adjusted daily to match individual nutrient requirements). Raising pigs (1 t pig BW at farm gate) in South Brazil under the CON feeding program using grain cultivated in the same region led to emissions of 1840 kg of CO2-eq, 13.1 kg of PO4-eq and 32.2 kg of SO2-eq. Simulations using grain from the Central-West region showed a greater climate change impact. Compared with the previous scenario, a 17% increase in climate change impact was found when simulating with soybeans produced in Central-West Brazil, whereas a 28% increase was observed when simulating with corn and soybeans from Central-West Brazil. Compared with the CON feeding program, the PFG and PFI programs reduced the potential environmental impact. Applying the PFG program mitigated the potential climate change impact and eutrophication by up to 4%, and acidification impact by up to 3% compared with the CON program. Making a further adjustment by feeding pigs according to their individual nutrient requirements mitigated the potential climate change impact by up to 6% and the potential eutrophication and acidification impact by up to 5% compared with the CON program. The greatest environmental gains associated with the adoption of precision feeding were observed when the diet combined soybeans from Central-West Brazil with corn produced in Southern Brazil. The results clearly show that precision feeding is an effective approach for improving the environmental sustainability of Brazilian pig production.

Environmental Impacts and Their Association With Performance and Excretion Traits in Growing Pigs

“…PR compared to 2P feeding strategy, protein and SID lysine intakes were reduced by 9.3 and 22.2%, respectively. Combined with the slightly improved protein retention in PR pigs, this resulted in a significant increase of N retention efficiency (from 36.2 to 40.5%) and a reduction of nutrient load in excreta, contributing to the lower CC, EU, and AC impacts with precision feeding, as already shown by Monteiro et al (6) and Andretta et al (11).…”

Pork Production Systems in China: A Review of Their Development, Challenges and Prospects in Green Production

“…Understanding the nutritive value and developing economic processing, such as biological fermentation, are important for alternative feed utilization. The development of precision nutrition in pork production is another important area of study in recent years, which could lead to increased feed use efficiency for current feed ingredients, and relieve the competition between humans and livestock for food resources, and also reduce the emissions to the environment [32] . The theoretical foundation to develop precision nutrition relies on accurate evaluation of the available nutrient value of feed ingredients and accurate determination of the nutrient requirements of swine at different stages of growth under different environmental conditions.…”

Waste management from the perspective of circularity of materials

“…The concentration of animal in production facilities (Furquim, ), the use of specialized production technologies (De Souza e Silva et al., ), improved genetics (Silva et al., ; Zylbersztajn, Turner, & Jones, ), and skilled production systems (Andretta, Hauschild, Kipper, Pires, & Pomar, ) have contributed to establishing Brazil as a global agribusiness (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply [MAPA], ).…”