Review: innovation through research in the North American pork industry

Abstract

This article involved a broad search of applied sciences for milestone technologies we deem to be the most significant innovations applied by the North American pork industry, during the past 10 to 12 years. Several innovations shifted the trajectory of improvement or resolved significant production limitations. Each is being integrated into practice, with the exception being gene editing technology, which is undergoing the federal approval process. Advances in molecular genomics have been applied to gene editing for control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and to identify piglet genome contributions from each parent. Post-cervical artificial insemination technology is not novel, but this technology is now used extensively to accelerate the rate of genetic progress. A milestone was achieved with the discovery that dietary essential fatty acids, during lactation, were limiting reproduction. Their provision resulted in a dose-related response for pregnancy, pregnancy maintenance and litter size, especially in maturing sows and ultimately resolved seasonal infertility. The benefit of segregated early weaning (12 to 14 days of age) was realized for specific pathogen removal for genetic nucleus and multiplication. Application was premature for commercial practice, as piglet mortality and morbidity increased. Early weaning impairs intestinal barrier and mucosal innate immune development, which coincides with diminished resilience to pathogens and viability later in life. Two important milestones were achieved to improve precision nutrition for growing pigs. The first involved the updated publication of the National Research Council nutrient requirements for pigs, a collaboration between scientists from America and Canada. Precision nutrition advanced further when ingredient description, for metabolically available amino acids and net energy (by source plant), became a private sector nutrition product. The past decade also led to fortuitous discoveries of health-improving components in ingredients (xylanase, soybeans). Finally, two technologies converged to facilitate timely detection of multiple pathogens in a population: oral fluids sampling and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for pathogen analysis. Most critical diseases in North America are now routinely monitored by oral fluid sampling and prepared for analysis using PCR methods.

Medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides as feed additives for pig production: towards gut health improvement and feed pathogen mitigation

“…Thus, during the nursing stage, colostrum is a vital source of energy-rich nutrients, maternal antibodies, and growth factors required for glucoregulation and mucosal immune system development, which are needed for piglet survival [50]. Although nursing pigs receive immune protection from their mother, some bacterial and viral pathogens overwhelm this protection (e.g., E. coli), while transboundary pathogens that the mother has not been exposed to (e.g., PEDv) cause nearly 100% piglet death until sows have time to develop immunity which they can pass on via colostral antibodies [1].…”

“…Antibiotics have long been used in the swine industry for therapeutic purposes, as they are in human medicine, to prevent severe clinical disease and death [1]. Antibiotics work against bacteria and different classes of antibiotics have distinct targeting spectrums and potencies [2].…”

Invited review: strategic adoption of antibiotic-free pork production: the importance of a holistic approach

“… Main et al (2004) reported that as weaning age increased, mortality decreased, day 42 bodyweight increased and weight at harvest reflected greater weight per day of age. In that study, the oldest weaning age was 21 d. Boyd et al (2019) reported that nursery mortality and total mortality to harvest declined as weaning age increased from 18 to 24 d of age, and that the benefit was greater if sow flows were positive for PPRSv and PEDv. McLamb et al (2013) reported that small increases in weaning age, from 16 to 18 to 20 d of age, greatly enhanced the ability of pigs to respond to an ETEC challenge and reduce its physiological and immunological impact.…”

“… Li et al (2019) observed that carbohydrase blends reduced markers of gut and systemic inflammation coinciding with improved growth performance in newly weaned pigs. Improved barrier function and reduced systemic and tissue inflammation may explain observations by Boyd et al (2019) that xylanase inclusion in the diet of growing and finishing pigs reduced mortality.…”

Evolving technological change in pork production supporting expectations of improved productivity, sustainability and flexibility

“…The industry's interest in new technology is perfectly revealed in the report by Boyd et al (2019). They identify innovations which have altered the very trajectory of the industry in North America, and probably globally; this includes the adoption of the tools of molecular genetics to accelerate genetic improvement, molecular-based tools to improve disease diagnosis and control and the tools of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to improve the precision of feed production (Bjustrom-Kraft et al, 2018;Faba et al, 2019).…”