Development of Pasteurized Liquid Swine Manure as a Plant Disease Control Product for High-Value Crops

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 8, 2012 | No Comments

 
Liquid swine manure that is put through a composter set at a temperature of 55-65⁰  comes out of the composter with no E.coli or salmonella, despite not losing any nutrients. The Manure also has no smell unless it becomes anaerobic. The process is simple requiring only two pumps, one for adding air and the other for controlling the pH level (adding acids or molasses). The compost produced is considered by its researchers to be a safe and effective fertilizer. Holding manure at over 60⁰ for at least 15 minutes is said to kill E.coli in the manure. The optimum pH for growth is 7.5-8, in the composter the pH level was held at 7.5, at 8 there would have been ammonia produced. At temperatures higher than 65⁰bacteria would begin to grow in the composter. In soils with low pH levels the highly acidic LSM becomes toxic to plant pathogens making it easier to control disease. The application of LSM to potato soils was found to help reduce potato scab disease and plant parasitic nematodes to near zero. The application of sulfuric acid can reduce potato scab if the soil pH level is held up for the entire growing season, there is no long term disease control from sulphuric acid because the soil levels can return to control levels. Applying LSM was just as effective in reducing disease when applied a year before the crop was plant as when applied the same  year the crop was planted. If applied in the right way LSM and sulphuric acid can be an easy was to fight disease with minimal requirements such as a manure spreader.

Immunological Mechanisms Affecting Angiogenesis and Their Relation to Porcine Pregnancy Success

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on | No Comments

Prenatal mortality due to loss of lymphocyte-promoted endometrial angiogenesis is being investigated as a major cause of litter reductions during pregnancy in pigs. This review discusses immune mechanisms influencing porcine endometrial angiogenesis as well as additional signalling molecules that may play important roles in the compromise
of peri-implantation and mid-gestation fetal pig survival. These include dendritic cells, signalling molecules such as toll-like receptors, chemokines and ficolins. Together these cells and molecules regulate immune responses and, ideally, protect the mother and prevent immune-based conceptus losses. Dendritic cells were recently shown to be angiogenic. Their tolerogenic role at the maternal-fetal interface coupled with the ability to secrete and respond to angiogenic factors suggests that dendritic cells are the key coordinators of angiogenesis at the porcine maternal-fetal interface.
Chemokines coordinate the localization of immune effector and endothelial cells. The balance between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic chemokines is addressed in relation to conceptus viability. Ficolins, components of the lectin-mediated complement activation pathway, are used for self/non-self recognition. Together, these components
of the immune system could regulate lymphocyte- and non-lymphocyte-promoted endometrial angiogenesis to determine conceptus survival.

Viscosity dependent dual-permeability modeling of liquid 2 manure movement in layered, macroporous, tile drained soil

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 1, 2012 | No Comments

Towards management of entire male pigs for commercial pork production

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on June 14, 2012 | No Comments

When piglets are born it is recommended that they be castrated in their first 2-14 days. Pigs that are not castrated have better growth performance and more lean meat, but they are also more more aggressive which increases the chances of fighting with pen mates, causing carcass damage, and they are more susceptible to having boar taint in the meat which reduces its quality. This project looks at immunization against gonadotropin-releasing (GnRF) factor as an alternative to castration. The objective is to determine the impact immunization against GnRF, using Pfizer’s boar taint vaccine on the dynamics and control of whole body protein deposition,  dynamics of plasma levels of androgens, estrogens and growth regulating hormones, mean body lipid and body protein deposition, and carcass and meat quality. Thirty six pigs were used on four different trials: conventional castration, no castration, no castration with immunization ( at 30 and 70 kgs body weight), and late castration at 25-40kgs body weight. The study noted that there was a dramatic change in feed intake and nutrient metabolism after the pigs became immunized, after immunization pigs were able to attain the same levels as castrated pigs. The study also showed the close relationship between changes in nutrient metabolism and hormones that are involved in regulating growth and nutrient metabolism in growing pigs. It was confirmed that immunization of male pigs against GnRF is effective at controlling boar taint from male pigs at high slaughter weights. These finding allow producers to avoid castration and raise “entire” male pigs with improved meat quality and consistency.

Viscosity dependent dual-permeability modeling of liquid manure movement in layered, macroporous, tile drained soil

Posted in: Environment, Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 26, 2012 | No Comments

Liquid swine manure has nitrogen and phosphorus that can be utilized for crop fertilization, but due to high levels of application the manure will often flow through macropores. If the manure reaches the water table it can pose an environmental risk. The permeation can be slowed by low permeability skin layers in the macropores, compact soil crusts, low permeability plowpan layers, or a tile drainage system. As well, the percent of dry matter in the liquid manure will affect viscosity, with a 5% increase in dry matter increasing viscosity by one order of magnitude. This study’s goal was to modify a dual-permeability model and apply it in field, determine the sensitivity of tile drain discharge rates, and numerically assess nutrient residue with additional variabilities. The dual-permeability model was able to give a fairly accurate prediction of liquid manure movement. The modified model included application method (injected or surface banded), the effect of soil crust and plowpan layers, and the anisotrophy ratios for the macropores. Viscosity was important to manure flow rates, and increasing viscosity of manure should be considered to slow permeation. Movement depends on soil features: a solid crust will slow movement, but a plowpan layer with vertical macropores will increase it. Flow has temporal variability, and the leading or trailing edges will be influenced differently by the soil properties. Overall, it is important to understand how the combination of specific soil characteristics influence liquid manure movement, and the dual-permeability model is a effective model to do so.

Immune response phenotype induced by controlled immunization of neonatal pigs varies in type 1:type 2 bias

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 22, 2012 | No Comments

Immune response (IR) of pigs varies by litter and by individual such that ratios of type-1 and type-2 IR differ. Estimates of heritability for antibody and cell-mediated IR suggest that genotype and the environment contribute approximately 20% and 80% to this variation. It is hypothesized that the IR phenotype of outbred neonatal pigs is immature and variable progressing with age from type-2 bias to a more balanced phenotype. To test this, pigs were IR phenotyped by a standardized protocol using two intramuscular injections of the combined type-1 and type-2 antigens (Ag) Candida albicans (CA) and hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL). Immune response was measured by wheal and flare reaction to HEWL and double skin fold thickness (DSFT) response to each Ag injected intradermally at 35 days of age. Blood was collected at 14 and 35 days of age to measure immunoglobulin IgG1, IgG2 and IgE isotype-relatedness of antibody (Ab) to CA and HEWL. Comparison was made between two different groups of pigs (A) and (B), from the same herd tested separately at an interval of two and a half years. An unexpected group difference in IR bias was observed. Bias in IR was not consistently toward type-2. Increase in DSFT to CA, an indicator of type-1 IR, was greater in A while frequency of wheal and flare to injection of HEWL, a type-2 IR correlate, was greater in B. Frequency of individuals with positive serum Ab activity to both Ags was greater in B than A for most isotypes. Ratios of Ab activity by type-1 and 2 isotypes and DSFT to type-1 and 2 Ags indicate diminished type-1 relative to type-2 biased IR response in B. We conclude that in normal neonatal pigs under standard husbandry IR bias is not invariably toward type-2. Phenotype varied between groups in type-1:type-2 bias with implications for protective and immunopathogenic IR. While the etiology was not pursued it is possible that unidentified environmental variables may have induced this change in IR phenotype.

Development of Fusarium resistant corn inbreds for pork production

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 24, 2012 | No Comments

The ability to develop young plants from pollen cultures has been done often with many plants, but it was never achieved in corn until now. Researchers were able to develop a pollen-to-plant protocol that has been clearly defined in a lab wherein all lines and hybrids respond predicatively. Globally, no other lab has been successful in delivering similar results. This can deliver completely homozygosity through a one culture sequence, and it can be used further in lab selection to identify new traits. This protocol can lead to generation of corn lines that are resistant to fusarium. A short UV exposure of pollen induces genetic changes. Pollen that survive are mutated, adding specific chemicals will kill the remaining majority of the pollen cultures but the ones that do survive will be resistant to fusarium. The surviving pollen cultures are then brought to the green plant stage and then the seeds can be harvested for production of fusarium resistant corn.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Area Regional Control and Elimination (ARC&E) trial

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 22, 2012 | No Comments

For this study Niagara Peninsula was selected as the first PRRS ARC&E trial region. 74 sites were tested with 44 being PRRSv enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) negative and 30 being PRRSv ElISA positive. A procedure to eliminate PRRSv has been completed at 14 sites. The first was not successful in eliminating the PRRSv field strain from the pigs, in the second, the pigs are currently testing PRRSv negitive. Twenty-eight herds have been identified for on-going diagnostic testing using the HerdChek PRRS X 3 antibody ELISA test on serum. Sampling methods will be used for evaluating these areas and will be assessed. These methods include the use of ear swabs for polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) testing, ELISA and PCR tests on oral fluids and meat juice ELISA testing.A process for communication has been created to communicate changes in a sites PRRS status. The PRRS risk assessment and EpiData surveys have been done and the analysis is being completed.

Reducing cost of Pork Production

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 10, 2012 | No Comments

Transitionally it is assumed that sows require a constant amount of amino acids during pregnancy, but there are some who feel that the sows requirements for amino acids change as the sows body changes during different stages of pregnancy. This study tries to pin point the sows requirements for amino acids used in early and late gestation, lactation and for maintenance. The sows were fitted with venous catheter and blood was regularly sampled to determine some specific AA requirements in early and late gestation. In all experiments, energy retention was greater in early gestation than in late gestation, where negative energy retention was observed especially in younger sows. A further study was set up to determine limited amino acids by setting up 5 diets, the first with all essential AA’s and then each after that had one AA removed. These experiments showed that AA and energy requirements of pregnant sows were greater in late gestation than in early gestation so that phase feeding sows different diets and feed amounts in early gestation and late gestation is necessary, the 84th day of pregnancy is recommend as the time to change diets. Increased litter size can increase the amount of milk needed to feed the piglets and this changes as the pigs grow, this can increase the amount of lysine required by the sows to help produce milk. Phase feeding is recommended to accommodate that changing AA requirements in the sow.

An Overview of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Associated with Porcine Pregnancy Success or Failure

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on January 1, 2012 | No Comments

Prenatal mortality remains one of the major constraints for the commercial pig industry in North America. Twenty to thirty per cent of the conceptuses are lost early in gestation and an additional 10–15% is lost by mid-to-late gestation. Research over the last two decades has provided critical insights into how uterine capacity, placental efficiency, genetics, environment, nutrition and immune mechanisms impact successful conceptus growth; however, the exact cause and effect relationship in the context of foetal loss has yet to be determined. Similar to other mammalian species such as the human, mouse, rat, and primates, immune cell enrichment occurs at the porcine maternal–foetal interface during the window of conceptus attachment. However, unlike other species, immune cells are solely recruited by conceptus-derived signals. As pigs have epitheliochorial placentae where maternal and foetal tissue layers are separate, it provides an ideal model to study immune cell interactions with foetal trophoblasts. Our research is focused on the immune-angiogenesis axis during
porcine pregnancy. It is well established that immune cells are recruited to the maternal–foetal interface, but their pregnancy specific functions and how the local milieu affects angiogenesis and inflammation at the site of foetal arrest remain unknown. Through a better understanding of how immune cells modulate crosstalk between the conceptus and the mother, it might be possible to therapeutically target immune cells and ⁄ or their products to reduce foetal loss. In this review, we provide evidence from the literature and from our own work into the immunological factors associated with porcine foetal loss.