Shurson

• DDGS and higher amounts of synthetic amino acids to replace soybean meal in grow-finish swine diets  (May 2008)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jerry Shurson, Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota

• Ileal and total tract digestibility of fiber and starch in distillers dried grains with soluble by growing pigs  (May 2008)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Jerry Shurson, Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota (in collaboration with Dr. Hans Stein and Pedro Urriola, University of Illinois)

Baidoo

• Dietary Evaluation of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in Lactating Sows  (October 2007)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Samuel Kofi Baidoo, Southern Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota,  Waseca, Minnesota

Johnston

• Agents to Improve Flowability of DDGS in Commercial System   (November 2007)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Lee Johnston, West Central Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota,  Morris, Minnesota, (in collaboration with John Goihl Agri-Nutrition Services, Inc., Shakopee, and Jerry Shurson, Department of Animal Science,  University of Minnesota)

Davies

• Development of swine disease surveillance and communications system for the Minnesota pork industry (December 2007)

  Principal Investigator: Dr. Peter Davies, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

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Minnesota Pork Checkoff Research Projects in Progress

The following research projects received Pork Checkoff funding in 2007. Results of the research will be available in 2008 and 2009. Minnesota Pork Board (MPB) swine research projects for 2007 focus on health, diet and welfare. The Minnesota Pork Board’s Production Technology and Research Committee members will target over $175,000 of Pork Checkoff funding into research projects that address current pork industry challenges.

Project Title: Use of glycerol, a biodiesel co-product in diets for lactating sows

Principle Investigator: Lee Johnston, University of Minnesota

Amount of Pork Checkoff Funding: $25,000

Project Summary:

Soybean-based biodiesel, as well as corn-based ethanol, use many fats and oils that are normally in swine diets. As fuel production consumes more soybeans and corn, there is less available for swine diets. Johnston’s research proposal will provide information that pork producers can utilize when looking for an alternative energy source to include in swine rations. While recent DDGS studies are valuable guides when incorporating it into swine diets, Johnston will investigate the challenges and opportunities of co-products that result when soybeans are made into biodiesel. Johnston’s objectives for this project are:

• Determine the appropriate feeding level for optimal sow and litter performance.
• Determine whether glycerol has value in helping sows deal with summer heat stress.

Project Title: Glycerol, a biodiesel co-product in growing pig diets to support growth and improve pork quality

Principle Investigator: Lee Johnston, University of Minnesota

Amount of Pork Checkoff Funding: $25,000

Project Summary:

With this project, Johnston builds on his other research that investigates incorporating glycerol into swine diets. Johnston says that data from European research demonstrate the potential use of soybean-derived glycerol in swine rations. As soybean meal availability declines because of biodiesel fuel demand, the co-product glycerol may be a partial starch and fat substitute in growing pig diets. Because the European studies collect their data utilizing feeding and production systems different than those typically found in the United States, Johnston will conduct the research using U.S. swine practices. Glycerol in swine diets may also improve pork’s water holding traits, a characteristic that could benefit both producers and consumers. Johnston’s objectives for this project are:

Determine the effects of long-term feeding of glycerol on the performance of growing-finishing pig carcass characteristics and muscle quality.

Determine the effect of short-term feeding of glycerol on the performance of finishing pig and muscle quality.

Project Title: Assessment of energy value and nutrient digestibility of new distiller grain co-products for growing pigs

Principle Investigator: Gerald Shurson, University of Minnesota

Amount of Pork Checkoff Funding: $25,000

Project Summary:

The competition between the ethanol and livestock industries for corn will increase its cost, reduce availability, and may cause pork producers to find less expensive, more readily available nutrient sources. When compared to typical dried distillers grain with solubles, newly emerging ethanol industry distillers co-products have different nutrient profiles and feeding values. Shurson’s research will provide pork producers and swine nutritionists with the energy value of co-products that may soon enter the marketplace. The information will help determine ration costs and formulations, and will contribute to producers’ ability to maintain pig growth and Shurson’s objectives for this research are to:

• Determine the co-products’ digestible and metabolizable energy content.
• Determine nitrogen and phosphorus digestibility of two new distillers co-products for growing swine diets.

Project Title: Effects of DDGS source on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs

Principle Investigator: Gerald Shurson, University of Minnesota

Amount of Pork Checkoff Funding: $25,000

Project Summary:

For pork producers and swine nutritionists to use DDGS with confidence in pig diets, they need research that shows how this ethanol manufacturing co-product supports optimal and consistent pig performance. Shurson says that other DDGS research shows inconsistent responses in pig growth and this unpredictability creates barriers to increasing DDGS use by the swine industry. By examining previous research that determined DDGS amino acid digestibility values and how overheating DDGS affects its nutritional values, Shurson’s study will provide further insight into swine diet formulation when using DDGS. Shurson’s objectives for this project are to:

• Determine the accuracy of standardized ileal amino acid digestibility values for DDGS obtained from recent University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University trials. This information will provide more support for growing-finishing pigs optimum growth performance.
• Determine the effect of feeding a DDGS source that has been overheated (lower lysine digestibility) on growing-finishing pigs feed intake and growth rates.

Project Title: Influence of DDGS and Glycerol on pig performance and composition of fatty acids in the jowl, back and belly

Principle Investigator: Mike Tokach, Kansas University

Amount of Pork Checkoff Funding: $24,660

Many pork processors either currently use, or contemplate using, iodine values found in fat as a measurement of fat quality. Tokach says minimal research is available on how DDGS in swine diets affect the pigs; carcass fat composition. Because many producers feed diets with high levels of added fat, an understanding of how DDGS may influence iodine value is necessary to meet pork processors’ standards, and domestic and export market requirements. Tokach will also evaluate glycerol’s influence on iodine value. Should incorporation of soybean-derived glycerol become a common swine diet ingredient, producers and processors will need to understand its affect on carcass qualities. Tokach’s objectives for this research are to:

• Determine how increasing levels of DDGS in growing-finishing rations affect carcass characteristic and quality.
• Determine fatty acid composition and iodine value in back fat, belly, and jowl adipose tissue.
• Determine how the addition of glycerol to diets containing choice white grease and DDGS affect swine growth, and carcass characteristic and quality.

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