scholarly journals Economic and environmental assessments of combined genetics and nutrition optimization strategies to improve efficiency of sustainable pork production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Soleimani ◽  
S Hermesch ◽  
H Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Individual Trait ◽  
Selection For

Abstract We evaluated the economic and environmental impacts of strategies that incorporated selection for pig feed:gain and dietary optimization based on a single or multiple objectives tailored to meet the population’s nutritional requirements, with the goal to optimize sustainable farm feed efficiency. The economic and environmental features of the strategy were evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA) and bio-economic models. An individual trait-based LCA model was applied to evaluate global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification potential (AP), freshwater eutrophication potential (EP), and land occupation (LO) of the combined genetics and nutrition optimization to produce 1kg of live pig weighing 120kg at the farm gate. A parametric individual trait-based bio-economic model was developed and applied to determine the cost breakdown, revenue and profit to be gained from a 120kg live pig at the farm gate. Applying the combined genetics and nutrition optimization, the individual performance traits of pigs from two genetic lines with contrasted levels of feed efficiency were simulated with InraPorc in response to diets formulated for least cost, least environmental impacts, or minimum combination of cost and environmental impacts objectives, and accounting for the nutritional requirements of each line. Significant differences in the environmental impacts (P < 0.0001) and profit (P < 0.05) between lines predicted the same reference diet showed that selection for feed efficiency (residual feed intake, RFI) in pigs improves pig production sustainability. When pig responses were simulated with their line optimized diets, except for EP, all the line environmental impacts were less (P < 0.05) than with the reference diet. The high correlations of feed conversion ratio (FCR) with the environmental impacts (> 0.82) and the profit (< -0.88) in both lines underline the importance of feed efficiency as a lever for the sustainability of pig production systems. Implementing combined genetics and nutrition optimization, the inherent profit and environmental differences between the genetic lines was predicted to be reduced from 23.4% with the reference diet to 7.6% with the diet optimized jointly for economic and environmental objectives (joint diet). Consequently, for increased pig sustainability, diet optimization for sustainability objectives should be applied to cover the specific nutritional requirements arising in the herd from the pigs’ genetic level.

scholarly journals An approach to achieve overall farm feed efficiency in pig production: environmental evaluation through individual life cycle assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Soleimani ◽  
Helene Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
System Level ◽  
Nutritional Requirements ◽  
Individual Life ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Conventional Diet ◽  
Selection For

Abstract Purpose Use a holistic individual life cycle assessment (LCA) to investigate possible mitigation of environmental impacts through optimisation of overall farm feed efficiency by combining animal selection for feed efficiency and formulation of diets with minimum environmental impacts tailored to pig nutritional requirements. Methods A linear multi-objective optimisation method was used to combine diet optimisation tailored to meet the representative nutritional requirements of genetic lines with environmental optimisation of the environmental impacts of the diet. Environmental optimisation was obtained by weighting the environmental impacts of the diet in a single environmental impact score. An individual trait-based LCA model with a cradle-to-farm-gate system boundary and functional unit of 1 kg live pig at the farm gate was applied to genetic lines selected for high (LRFI, high feed efficient line) and low (HRFI, low feed efficient line) feed efficiency data. The production traits of each individual animal in response to the optimised diets were simulated with InraPorc® and imported into the individual LCA model to assess global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification potential (AP), freshwater eutrophication potential (EP), and land occupation (LO) of the overall farm feed efficiency approach. Results and discussion Integrating selection for feed efficiency, nutritional requirements of genetic lines (HRFI and LRFI) and environmental diet optimisation resulted in overall mitigation of environmental impacts. Compared to the conventional diet, the environmental score of the optimised tailored diets was reduced by 5.8% and 5.2% for LRFI and HRFI lines, respectively. At the general production system level, the environmental impacts decreased by an average of 4.2% for LRFI and 3.8% for HRFI lines compared to environmental impacts of the lines fed the conventional diet (P < 0.05). The HRFI line with its optimised tailored diet had fewer impacts than the LRFI line with the conventional diet, except for EP. Individual LCA revealed high correlations between environmental impacts and feed efficiency and protein deposition traits. Conclusions Implementation of overall farm feed efficiency would effectively mitigate environmental impacts. A holistic economic evaluation of the resulting trade-off between diet costs and pig performances is now needed to design a comprehensive tool to orientate selection and formulation decisions for sustainable pig production systems.

scholarly journals Multiobjective formulation is an effective method to reduce environmental impacts of livestock feeds

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (11) ◽  
pp. 1298-1309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Garcia-Launay ◽  
Léonie Dusart ◽  
Sandrine Espagnol ◽  
Sarah Laisse-Redoux ◽  
Didier Gaudré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Feed Formulation ◽  
Livestock Feeds ◽  
Feed Cost ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Commercial Farms ◽  
The Cost

AbstractEnvironmental and economic performances of livestock production are related largely to the production of complete feeds provided on commercial farms. Formulating feeds based on environmental and economic criteria appears a suitable approach to address the current challenges of animal production. We developed a multiobjective (MO) method of formulating feed which considers both the cost and environmental impacts (estimated via life cycle assessment) of the feed mix. In the first step, least-cost formulation provides a baseline for feed cost and potential impacts per kg of feed. In the second, the minimised MO function includes normalised values of feed cost and impacts climate change, P demand, non-renewable energy demand and land occupation. An additional factor weights the relative influence of economic and environmental objectives. The potential of the method was evaluated using two scenarios of feed formulation for pig, broiler and young bulls. Compared to baseline feeds, MO-formulated feeds had lower environmental impacts in both scenarios studied (−2 to −48 %), except for land occupation of broiler feeds, and a moderately higher cost (1–7 %). The ultimate potential for this method to mitigate environmental impacts is probably lower than this, as animal supply chains may compete for the same low-impact feed ingredients. The method developed complements other strategies, and optimising the entire animal production system should be explored in the future to substantially decrease the associated impacts.

scholarly journals Results of selection for breast muscle percentage and feed conversion ratio in Pekin ducks

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 769-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Pingel
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Breast Muscle ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Direct Selection ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Selection For

Increasing breast muscle percentage by selection for breast layer thickness (muscle and skin) of living ducks by needle probe improves carcass quality as could be demonstrated by experiments and by applied breeding programs. In addition direct selection for individual feed conversion ratio can increase the efficiency of duck meat production. Divergent selection for feed conversion ratio from the age of 4 - 7 weeks over 11 generations has differentiated the feed efficiency by about 25 %. Causes for the reduction in feed conversion ratio are lower fat content of carcass, lower locomotor activity, higher enzymatic activity (alkaline phosphatase and creatinkinase in blood plasma) and better feed protein utilization. Because of lower feed consumption in the line selected for lower feed conversion ratio the emission of nitrogen and phosphorus via manure was reduced by about 39 and 26 %, respectively. That means, selection for better feed efficiency is not only an important economical but also an important ecological factor.

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

scholarly journals Eco-Friendly Feed Formulation and On-Farm Feed Production as Ways to Reduce the Environmental Impacts of Pig Production Without Consequences on Animal Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francine de Quelen ◽  
Ludovic Brossard ◽  
Aurélie Wilfart ◽  
Jean-Yves Dourmad ◽  
Florence Garcia-Launay
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Dietary Treatment ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Feed Ingredients ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Feed Formulation ◽  
Diet Formulation ◽  
The Impact

Animal feeding has a major contribution to the environmental impacts of pig production. One potential way to mitigate such effects is to incorporate an assessment of these impacts in the feed formulation process. The objective of this study was to test the ability of innovative formulation methodologies to reduce the impacts of pig production while also taking into account possible effects on growth performance. We compared three different formulation methodologies: least-cost formulation, in accordance with standard practices on commercial farms; multiobjective (MO) formulation, which considered feed cost and environmental impacts as calculated by life cycle assessment (LCA); and MO formulation, which prioritized locally produced feed ingredients to reduce the impact of transport. Ninety-six pigs were distributed between three experimental groups, with pigs individually weighted and fed using an automatic feeding system from 40 to 115 kg body weight. Based on the experimental results, six categories of impacts were evaluated: climate change (CC), demand in non-renewable energy (NRE), acidification (AC), eutrophication (EU), land occupation (LO), and phosphorus demand (PD), at both feed plant gate and farm gate, with 1 kg of feed and 1 kg of live pig as functional units, respectively. At feed level, MO formulations reduced CC, NRE, AC, and PD impacts but sometimes increased LO and EU impacts. These formulations reduced the proportion of cereals and oil meals into feeds (feed ingredients with high impacts), while the proportion of alternative protein sources, like peas, faba beans, or high-protein agricultural coproducts increased (feed ingredients with low impacts). Overall, animal performance was not affected by the dietary treatment; because of this, the general pattern of results obtained with either MO formulation at farm gate was similar to that obtained at feed level. Thus, MO diet formulation represents an efficient way to reduce the environmental impacts of pig production without compromising animal performance.

scholarly journals The Influence of Farm Characteristics and Feed Compositions on the Environmental Impact of Pig Production in Flanders: Productivity, Energy Use and Protein Choices Are Key

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11623
Author(s):  
Klara Van Mierlo ◽  
Louise Baert ◽  
Ellen Bracquené ◽  
Johan De Tavernier ◽  
Annemie Geeraerd
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Pig Production ◽  
Feed Production ◽  
Pig Feed

The growing pig production sector is a large contributor of negative impacts to the environment and feed production is responsible for a large part of these impacts. Pig production systems, including feed compositions, are variable, resulting in variable potential environmental impacts. This study investigated the influence of different farm characteristics and feed compositions on the environmental impact of pig production in Flanders. A Life Cycle Assessment approach was followed, including data from 39 farms and monthly feed compositions in the year 2018. Even though feed production contributes significantly to the overall environmental impact of pig production, the results show that environmental impacts are more affected by variabilities in farm characteristics than by fluctuating feed compositions. A higher productivity, in terms of feed conversion efficiency and the number of pigs produced per sow, is generally related to lower environmental impacts. Another influencing factor is the type and amount of energy used. For feed consumption, high variabilities are observed for water use, mainly caused by varying levels of sugar cane molasses. Climate change impacts and variabilities are mainly caused by soy ingredients and their origin. Finally, amino acids show large contributions to the environmental impact of pig feed consumption. Our research highlights that future developments for reducing the environmental impact of pig production should target animal productivity, the type and amount of energy used and selection of protein sources in pig feed.

scholarly journals Breeding for milk and beef in cattle - designing an overall strategy

1983 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 547-553
Author(s):  
Veijo Vilva ◽  
U. B. Lindström
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Direct Selection ◽  
Economic Gain ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Milk Traits ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Selection For

A three-stage selection programme of dual purpose bulls was studied in order to assess the significance of the selection stages and the genetic gain to be expected. In accordance with previous studies the results showed that over 90 % of the economic gain comes from the milk traits. In addition the study showed that over 10 % of the gain is due to the increased feed conversion efficiency, mainly in milk production. The beef performance test of young bulls accounted for only 1—2 % of the total economic gain. Therefore the test stations setup for this purpose might be more efficiently utilised by concentrating on measurement of feed conversion. The study also indicated that direct selection for feed efficiency in milk production would give appreciably higher gain even if it were done on the basis of only 5 daughters/ bull. In practice this might be accomplished by measuring the feed consumption of a limited number of daughters per young bull, 4-5 months after calving for about one month or by collecting 200—300 individual mid-lactational feed consumption records for daughters of young bulls.

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

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra N. T. R. Monteiro ◽  
Ludovic Brossard ◽  
Hélène Gilbert ◽  
Jean-Yves Dourmad
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Nitrogen Excretion ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Land Occupation ◽  
Feeding Programs ◽  
Feeding Program

The selection of pigs for improved production traits has been, for a long time, the major driver of pig breeding. More recently, because of the increasing concern with the environment, new selection criteria have been explored, such as nitrogen (N) excretion. However, many studies indicate that life cycle assessment (LCA) provides much better indicators of environmental impacts than excretion. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate, using a modeling approach, the relationships between production traits and LCA impacts of individual growing pigs calculated at the farm gate for 1 kg of body weight gain. Performances of pigs were simulated for 2-phase (2P) and precision feeding (PR), using the InraPorc population model (on 1,000 pigs). Nitrogen excretion was positively correlated with feed conversion ratio (FCR; r = +0.96), climate change (CC; r = +0.96), acidification potential (AC; r = +0.97), eutrophication potential (EU; r = +0.97), and land occupation (LO; r = +0.96), whatever the feeding program. However, FCR appeared to be a better indicator of LCA impacts, with very high and positive correlations (r &gt; +0.99) with CC, AC, EU, and LO for both feeding programs. The CC, AC, and EU impacts of pig production for PR feeding were 1.3, 10, and 7.5% lower than for 2P, respectively, but the correlations within each outcome were very similar among feeding programs. It was concluded that the use of FCR as a selection criterion in pig breeding seems to be a promising approach to associate improved performance and low environmental impact of pig fattening.

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