Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Morning- Joint Session with NCCC42

The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. by Shengfa Liao, NCCC042 chairman and he introduced administrative advisors, officers of both committees and guest speakers. Members of each committee introduced themselves.  Dr. Liao introduced and welcomed one new member, Dr. Jason Woodworth (Kansas State University) to their group.   

Comments from administrative advisors

Dr. Robert Godfrey (S-1081 administrator) informed the meeting that Dr. Don Beitz (NCCC42) administrator) could not make it to Orlando for the meeting. He reminded the secretaries that the minutes of 2020 meeting should be uploaded to NIMSS within 60 days of the meeting). He reiterated the importance of including impact statements in the minutes and noted that ‘landgrantimpacts.org’ provided training (free of charge for multi-state projects) on writing impact statements.

Guest presentation:

Charlotte Kirk-Baer called in and gave an update on NIFA regarding some of the staff challenges resulting from the relocation from Washington DC to Kansas City. She indicated that the $425m Appropriation Bill that was signed late in Dec 2019 contained an increase of 2.4% for NIFA compared to about 7% increase for funding for Science programs. As a part of the agency’s strategic plans, NIFA is currently asking stakeholders for feedback regarding how they have been performing. Despite the shortfall in the number of available staff, all essential activities will occur as scheduled but the release of fund (for awarded projects) may be delayed for between 30 and 60 days. Interested candidates should check USAjobs.gov for job opportunities. She also mentioned that FY2019 success rate was slightly higher than it was in the past (20-25%) and attributed this fewer number of grant applications received. Charlotte indicated that she will be leaving NIFA January 24, 2020, no replacement NIFA representative yet.

Reports from participating stations were presented by the various scientists in attendance. A digital copy of 14 reports compiled from 14 stations was distributed to the attendees prior to the meeting.

The joint morning session concluded at 9:30 AM.

Morning Break-out Session

The S-1081 session was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by chair Maxwell. Mark Estienne (Virginia Tech) and Robert Dove (Georgia) were absent. Drs. Bob Godfrey (Virgin Islands) and Jose Soto (Ajinomoto) were also in attendance.  

Agenda and past minutes were reviewed with no further discussion.

Activities outstanding from previous projects (Cu, phytogenic oil, organic minerals) were discussed. With respect to the Cu supplementation project: data review for accuracy continues. Discussed how best to present the data given differences in measured variables and treatments (3 stations have submitted performance data with 1 station also having milk and tissue mineral levels; 1 station had 2 sources with multiple levels others had source with multiple levels). Intent to submit at least 1 paper within the calendar year. Phytogenic oil studies: there was limited impact on measured performance variables from any station. Merlin will compile the data into a single set for analysis. Organic minerals project: paper was published in Translational Animal Science in 2019.

Ongoing projects were discussed (milk AA composition, boron, phytogenics, phase feeding in gestation). With respect to milk AA composition: Dr. Risley, who attended last year’s meeting, still interested in analyzing milk for FA profile. Requires only 2 – 3 mL/sample. To date, SDSU and UK have submitted samples to UK for proximate. Merlin will prepare protocol regarding sample collection for milk FA content. Question was posed to Jose whether AA content could be determined on wet milk, given large volume required for sufficient dried sample. SDSU has large freeze dryer that could be used if needed. Questions arose on how to express the AA or FA content (i.e. relative to CP) to determine if the profile is really changing, how to account for dilution effect from a teat with lesser volume. Charlie would check on volume needed for microbial analysis. Boron study: UK intent to put sows on test in gestation and lactation (levels 0, 2, 25 ppm). Can include up to 50 ppm in diets. Will also collect piglet tissue/bones at birth and weaning. Merlin will send out a protocol. Possible stations to contribute females were AR and UK. NCSU will look into availability and logistics of females at Tidewater station. Phytogenic oils: no stations currently intending to conduct study in this area at this time. Phase feeding in gestation: final set of second parity offspring are in finisher barn. AK consider putting females on test. Crystal to provide protocol of treatments.

The session was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. 

Afternoon Joint Session

Liao called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.

Guest presentation:

Chris Hostetler (National Pork Board, NPB).  He gave an update regarding the NPB. According to him, the NPB is undergoing both physical and philosophical changes. The new CEO introduced checkoff 4.0 with the themes: “build trust and add value”. The “build trust” theme involves people and the community while “add value” is built around swine production, marketing, risks, and opportunities. According to him, the 2020 task force includes 6 committees under Science and Technology (animal science falls under this). The task force is different from the standing committees. The US pork producers have lost a portion of their market share in China. Japan is now their #1 trading partner (dollar-wise) while Mexico is their #1 trading partner viewed from the volume of sales. Swine nutrition has been cut from the 2020 budget. However, $500,000 is approved for nutrient sustainability project. There is a plan to get matching funds to raise the $500,000 to $4 m for a multidisciplinary nutrient sustainability study involving animal, plant, and soil scientists. There is also a plan to fund between 12 and 13 graduate students at the rate of $60,000 ($30,000/year)/student (~$800,000/year). Expect this to be a long-term annual program. Emphasis is on graduate training as opposed to a specific experimental project; emphasis on training within cross-disciplinary areas based on industry survey of future employment needs (e.g. animal science + business).

Guest presentation:

Soto (from Ajinomoto) and Hansen (from Carthage Systems) provided overviews of their respective companies and current research interests. In particular, Soto noted efforts by Ajinomoto to establish North American production of Val and Ile in the near future and Arg production on line in 2 – 3 yrs. Hanson indicated four main areas of research focus by Carthage Systems are i) genetics, ii) nutrition, iii) health, and iv) facility and management with sow development ranking as #1 in priority.

Station Reports not included in the morning session were presented to the group. Joel Brendemuhl provided update discussion with hotel management on following year’s meeting and logistics for the Animal Kingdom Nutrition facility tour. The meeting was adjourned by Liao at 5:00 p.m.

January 4, 2019

Morning Breakout Session

Maxwell called the S-1081 session to order at 8:00 a.m.  New officers for 2020 were announced: Estienne from Virginia Tech, Chair; Dove from the University of Georgia, Vice-chair, and Levesque from South Dakota State University agreed to let name stand as secretary for 2020 - 2021.  The motion was seconded by Lindemann and passed unanimously.

Discussed iron injection study, supplemental study, in particular how to analyze data. Example, consider actual day of age, body weight category, pair-wise comparison within litter vs ANOVA. Merlin reminded all stations that put litters on test to send him diet samples. AR to put a group of sows/litter on test Feb 20. Questions arose regarding iron levels in dirt-raised pigs, can piglet tissue levels be increased by sow gestation feeding of minerals.

Kentucky will put sows on Boron study and present study to NCCC-42 for any other possible station involvement.

Session adjourned at 9:30 a.m.        

Morning Joint Section

Meeting declared open at 10:03 a.m.  New officers for 2020 were announced by the current Chairs of the respective committees. 

S-1081: Chair: Mark Estienne; V. Chair: Robert Dove; Secretary: Crystal Levesque

NCCC42: Chair: Tayo Adedokun; V. Chair: Anoosh Rakhshandeh; Secretary: Jason Woodworth

Stein and Lindemann gave the highlights of the meeting as it relates to the respective committees (NCCC42 and S-1081, respectively).

Station reports continued.

Joel Brendemuhl discussed the options we had for the 2021 meeting. Our next joint meeting (NCCC42 and S-1081) will take place on the 5^th and 6^th of January, 2021 with the arrival date of January 4, 2021.  Hotel room will cost $135/night.  Marcia Shannon move the motion for the adoption of the meeting dates and was seconded by Brian Kerr.

Shengfa Liao summarized and presented the key points of the 2020 meeting. Layi Adeola asked members to thank Joel Brendemuhl for all he has been doing to support our meeting over the years. He (Layi Adeola) subsequently moved that the meeting should be adjourned and the motion was seconded by Merlin Lindemann.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

Respectfully submitted

Crystal Levesque for Mark Estienne, secretary (S-1081)

This project has just completed the first year so accomplishments are related to getting experimental work started. Studies from previous projects are undergoing data review for accuracy (i.e. Cu supplementation). Organic minerals project was accepted for publication, details provided in ‘Outputs’.

Objective 1: To determine the effect of boron supplementation on the reproductive performance of sows.  This project is just starting with trials expecting to be started in 2020 at Kentucky with possible contribution of females from Arkansas and North Carolina.

Objective 2:  To determine the effects of phytogenic feed additives on the reproductive performance of sows.  At present, no new experiments have been started under this objective. Data from previous multi-state project (objective 2, S-1061) has been compiled and is under review for quality and accuracy.

Objective 3: To determine the effect of altered gestational feeding of sows on sow productivity and longevity.  Studies are ongoing at South Dakota. Experimental details sent to Arkansas for possible contribution of females.     

Short-term Outcomes:

Across objectives, we will be able to determine if sow reproductive efficiency is affected when sows are administered one of the respective feeding strategies or alterations.  Where results are positive, increases in sow productivity will increase producer income.  In addition to effects on reproductive measures, of particular interest will be the effects of dietary treatments on pre-weaning death loss of pigs.  In the U.S. swine industry, pre-weaning death rate in pigs averages over 17%.  If for example, phase feeding sows results in a 1% reduction in pre-weaning mortality, adoption of this strategy nationwide would result in more than 1 million additional weaned pigs without an increase in average litter size.       

Outputs:

The S-1081 project is still new and specific experiments are underway or beginning on the majority of research stations, thus there are no publications to report specifically on this project.  However, members of the committee published a referred paper during the past year, relative to a previous multi-state project (objective 3; S-1061):

Tsung-Chen, T.  G. A. Apgar, M. J. Estienne, M. Wilson, and C. V. Maxwell.  2019.  A cooperative study assessing reproductive performance in sows fed diets supplemented with organic or inorganic sources of trace minerals.  Translational Animal Science doi: 10.1093/tas/txz178 

Activities:

Data collection on Objective 3 has begun at South Dakota and data compilation and quality assessment of data collected to date under Objective 2 has been started by Kentucky and South Dakota.

Milestones:

To have sows from the participating stations on dietary treatments appropriate for the three objectives by January, 2021, including initial stages of data and sample analysis of relevant studies.  

Tsung-Chen, T.  G. A. Apgar, M. J. Estienne, M. Wilson, and C. V. Maxwell.  2019.  A cooperative study assessing reproductive performance in sows fed diets supplemented with organic or inorganic sources of trace minerals.  Translational Animal Science doi: 10.1093/tas/txz178