Duration: 10/01/2024 to 09/30/2029

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Pork is one of the major sources of animal protein in the US and is important to U.S. animal agriculture. The relationship between swine production and nutrition is inseparable with the cost of feed accounting for more than half of the total cost of raising a pig. In order to be able to meet the domestic demand for pork as well as meeting the global need for high quality animal protein, the cost of feed ingredients and the efficiency with which it is converted to animal protein  depends on availability and quality of feed ingredients. Research published by the NCCC042 represents a multi-state approach that has resulted in a scientifically productive effort by the members to provide sound nutritional recommendations to the swine industry. Current NCCC042 members have expertise in nutrient utilization, feed analyses, molecular nutrition, mineral metabolism, biotechnology, protein and amino acid biochemistry, and growth and muscle physiology. The committee has also recruited and enlisted the services of biostatisticians, agricultural economists, animal behaviorists and international animal scientists as appropriate. The goals of this team would include further understanding of feedstuffs and identifying methods to improve nutrient efficiency while training graduate students across college research stations with outcomes from these goals to include publication of joint research articles, work collaboratively to provide the swine industry with new knowledge around feedstuffs, and to create larger efforts with other groups such as S-1081, American Feed Industry Association, and National Pork Board.

Statement of Issues and Justification

Pork is one of the major sources of animal protein in the US and its importance to the overall stability of the U.S. animal agriculture and overall U.S. economy continues to grow. The relationship between swine production and nutrition is inseparable especially with the cost of feed accounting for more than half of the total cost of raising a pig to market weight. In order to be able to meet the domestic demand for pork as well as meeting the global need for high quality animal protein, the cost of feed ingredients and the efficiency with which it is converted to animal protein  depends on availability and quality of feed ingredients. To get the full benefit of the nutrients in the diet, it is important that the quality of feed ingredients be evaluated and documented. Additionally, changes in agronomy practices such as no-till as well as climate change is leading to increasing prevalence of mycotoxins in harvested grains and oil-seeds. The full impact of mycotoxins, especially co-contamination with multiple mycotoxins, as well as ways to mitigate their negative effects on animal health and performance are poorly understood. Maintenance and improvement of U.S. competitiveness in the global swine industry and animal protein market continues to be of vital importance. The evidence reported herein shows that high quality and timely swine nutrition research conducted by the North Central Coordinating Committee has made significant contributions to this competitiveness.

The North Central Coordinating Committee (NCCC) on Swine Nutrition (NCCC042), previously called NCR-42, has a rich history, spanning over 55 years of conducting cooperative research to provide answers to specific yet practical issues dealing with swine nutrition that individual stations could not accomplish alone. The primary advantage of this cooperative research is the use of the same experimental designs, diet formulations, and experimental protocols which minimize confounding factors that are incorporated into independently designed studies across several locations thereby allowing for clearer interpretation of results. Research published by the NCCC042 represents a multi-state approach that has resulted in a scientifically productive effort by the members to provide sound nutritional recommendations to the swine industry. Current NCCC042 members have expertise in nutrient utilization, feed analyses, molecular nutrition, mineral metabolism, biotechnology, protein and amino acid biochemistry, and growth and muscle physiology. The committee has also recruited and enlisted the services of biostatisticians, agricultural economists, animal behaviorists and international animal scientists as appropriate.

With the development and use of new technologies (low-nutrient-excretion diets, improved genetic lines, nutrition-environment interrelationships, metabolic modifiers, gut health and microbiome characterization, antibiotic alternatives, etc.) in the swine industry, specific questions relating to nutritional requirements as well as feed ingredients’ quality in the face of global increase in temperature will need to be answered more rapidly, with more validity, and with broader implications through a cooperative, multi-state effort rather than by individual stations working independently.

The NCCC042 Committee has historically developed projects on a continuing basis rather than completely at the outset of the approval process. This allows the committee to respond quickly and promptly to issues as they emerge. The advantage of this type of approach is the quick attention given to research questions that need to be solved on a national basis without the restriction to specific experiments revised periodically. This is especially useful considering the declining funding in the field of animal nutrition. This collaborative multi-state approach is as relevant now as it has been in the past, evident by the large quantity of quality, robust, timely research. The emphasis on applied nutrition is by design, and incorporates a unifying strength in the proactive stance on identification of critical issues facing the swine nutrition industry. Members of the Committee maintain close ties to the swine and feed industries and are keenly aware of basic and applied questions that need to be answered. Representatives from the pork and swine nutrition industries participate in the Committee’s annual meeting to keep the Committee informed on high-priority areas of swine nutrition that are researchable on a multi-state basis. In addition, representatives from this Committee have participated in the annual meeting of the Swine Nutrition Council of the American Feed Industry Association to exchange information on high-priority research needs.

Many of the findings by the NCCC042 Committee would not have been discovered without the large number of animals assembled from many stations and the applicability discovered by various genetics and management strategies. This large number from several locations has the potential to increase the statistical power, hence our ability to pick up differences among treatments. Most stations working independently could not have researched important issues due to limited numbers of animals. This type of research approach conducted on a multi-state basis also generates results that have broad inferences across many environmental and management conditions. Furthermore, the NCCC042 structure creates a platform for communication, debate, and collaboration across Universities that would not typically occur. By bringing some of the brightest minds in the swine industry together in the same room, a more coordinated and far-reaching effort can be achieved because the knowledge base of the individuals are connected together for the common benefit of the industry.  Lastly, the NCCC042 committee structure has served as a great opportunity for young swine professionals at Universities to meet and work with veterans of our industry which allows them to grow their network and share in the lessons the previous generations learned first-hand.

The NCCC042 Committee has an enviable history of addressing important researchable problems relating to swine nutrition and an excellent record with respect to publishing research in scientific literature. Research conducted by the NCCC042 committee members has made major contributions to swine nutrition and provided technical information to improve efficiency of pork production. Goals of the NCCC042 are consistent with the priority research objective of North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Stations which is to develop improved animal production systems that are competitive, profitable, and environmentally sound. The structure and functionality of the NCCC042 is regarded as a national model for coordinating committees. The Committee can boast the following: excellent attendance at annual meetings in the last 5 years; record participation in cooperative projects; record publication of 34 refereed journal papers in the Journal of Animal Science, and presentation of 43 abstracts at sectional or national meetings of the American Society of Animal Science during its 55-year history. In addition, Committee members have written two editions of a comprehensive textbook entitled Swine Nutrition. Since the last project approval, 3 refereed journal papers have been published in the Journal of Animal Science and 2 abstracts presented at sectional or national meetings of the American Society of Animal Science. Seven of the ten members of the National Academy of Science Nutrient Requirements of Swine (2012) Committee were past members of NCCC042 and 5 members are current members of the current National Academy of Science Nutrient Requirements of Swine committee that is expected to release a new Swine NRC in 2025/2026. Currently, two members of NCCC042 serves on the NRSP-9 National Animal Nutrition Program as either a chair or a member. In addition, the Swine Nutrition Research Team received the Excellence in Research Award in July, 2013.

 Accomplishments and Highlights since Last Approval:

 A. Held joint meetings with the Regional Research Committee on Nutrition and Management of Swine for Increased Reproductive Efficiency (S-1081) in January 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and in May 2023. During these meetings, research topics of common interest and potential multi-state collaboration on several research studies were discussed.

B. The following feed industry/commodity board representatives were in attendance during NCCC042 meetings in January 2019, 2020, 2021, 2021 and 2023: Dr. Dean Boyd, Hanor Company (2019), Dr. Chad Risley, Berg+Schmidt America LLC (2019); Dr. Andrea Hanson, Carthage Systems (2020), Dr. Keith Haydon, CJ America (2022); Dr. Gordon Denny, Gordon Denny LLC (2023), Dr. Jason Schwenneker, Athens Management Group (2023); Dr. Chris Hostetler, National Pork Board in years 2019 to 2023.

C. There were regular and periodic interactions between the committee and Drs. Charlotte Kirk-Baer, Tim Sullivan, Robert Godfrey, Sarah Pearce, the USDA-NIFA representatives between 2019 and 2023.

D. Held regular and periodic interactions with the National Pork Board to ensure that the research objectives are in alignment with the needs of the U.S. pork industry (see above).

E. The committee took on the following research projects: 1. Phytase super dosing. 2.  Bakery by-product nutrient variation. 3. Bakery meal digestibility. 4. Digestible P requirements of growing pigs. 5.  Microbiome and diet interactions in nursery pigs. 6. Ca:P ratios in commercial feed samples. 7. Intestinal integrity model. 8. DE/ME evaluation. 9. Cecal microbiome and energy contribution.

 F. Published the following scientific papers (2019 to present):

 Refereed Journal Papers

1. Lagos, L. V., J. C. Woodworth, S. W. Kim, and H. H. Stein. 2023. Short communication: commercial diets for pigs in the United States contain more calcium than formulated. J. Anim. Sci. 101: 105.doi:10.1093/jas/skad102.

2. Stein, H. H., O. Adeola, S. K. Baidoo, M. D. Lindemann, and S. A. Adedokun. 2023. Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids differs among sources of bakery meal when fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 101:1-10. doi:10.1093/jas/skad208.

3. Stein, H. H., O. Adeola, S. W. Kim, P. S. Miller, and S. A. Adedokun. 2023.  Digestibility of energy and concentrations of metabolizable energy and net energy varies among sources of bakery meal when fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 101:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad297

 

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

The committee will engage in integrated and collaborative research that is aimed at reducing feed costs and enhancing sustainability investigating ways to reduce feed costs, improve energy utilization, increase usage of co-products from by-products including the fuel ethanol industry. To this end, the committee will conduct research to evaluate new feed ingredients, continue to assess value of co-products from the food and ethanol industry, measure energy and macro nutrient digestibility, and other important research areas.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

The NCCC042 Committee consists of prominent swine nutritionists from the North Central Region along with a few surrounding states and has been in existence since the early 1960's. It has been involved in cooperative research for nearly 55 years and is recognized as one of the most effective regional committees of its kind. The committee meets annually in January to plan experiments with a common protocol, present research results from such experiments conducted during the previous year, review publications in progress written by the committee, and share pertinent information regarding swine nutrition.

Organization/Governance

The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an Administrative Advisor and a NIFA Representative.

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

CA, GA, IA, IL, KS, MI, MO, MS, NC, NE, WI

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Laval University