Topics included pre-farrowing feeding strategies, precision livestock farming and recycling of swine manure nutrients.

June 3, 2022

3 Min Read
NC State Swine Innovation Forum.jpg
North Carolina State University

On May 12, the North Carolina State University Swine Extension group hosted the annual NCSU Swine Innovation Form at The Maxwell Center in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The event welcomed pork producers, Extension agents and students as well as members of the allied industry from across the state and nation.

After hosting guests virtually last year, the Forum was offered as a hybrid event with in-person and online attendees. There were just over 100 people in attendance with around 50 more people logging in to view presentations throughout the day.  

The NCSU Head of the Department of Animal Science, Todd See, was the emcee for the event. The Innovation Forum kicked off with William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Billy Flowers presenting "Five Things to Check When Sows and Gilts Don't Get Pregnant." With over 35 years of experience in the swine industry, Flowers remains a popular speaker who always provides practical information as well as recent research that can be utilized by everyone who works with pigs.

During a break for refreshments and networking after the opening session, attendees could visit and talk with five current NCSU graduate students who were presenting posters about their recent swine research. The poster sessions was graciously sponsored by EnviroFlight. 

NCSU Associate Professor and Extension Swine Specialist Mark Knauer followed the break by presenting "Pre-Farrowing Feeding Strategies." His presentation included recent developments in pre-farrowing management and calcium usage to improve farrowing. Next, Mahmoud Sharara, from the NCSU Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering shared "Economic Recovery and Recycling of Swine Manure Nutrients." Sharara's research program at NCSU focuses on furthering sustainability for pig farmers with non-conventional methods of waste management such as "greenhouse drying." His presentation highlighted how swine manure can be a value-added by-product of swine production.

Monique Pairis-Garcia, DVM from NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, ended the morning session with an action item for producers to fill out a survey on "Producer Perspectives on Precision Livestock Farming." Feedback gained from this survey will be used in a collaborative research study between NC State, Michigan State and Iowa State universities. 

Coming back from an eastern North Carolina BBQ lunch, sponsored by the National Pork Board, we were fortunate to to have Brent Frederick, pork innovation lead for Cargill, as our featured speaker. Frederick is also an NC State alumnus, earning his Ph.D. from the university in 2003. Frederick's presentation was "A Glimpse Into the Future of Pork Production" where he provided a unique perspective on how current trends and pressures will shape the future landscape of our industry.

Continuing the conversation on technology, NC State Department of Animal Science Assistant Professor Suzanne Leonard shared "Applied Engineering Solutions," providing examples and applications of current precision livestock farming research happening at NCSU. NCSU Extension Swine Specialist Jon Holt gave his presentation "Available Technologies for Pork Producers" to offer insight into commercial products that are currently on the market for producers, as well as strategies for selecting and optimizing them for your own facilities. 

To conclude the event, Holt moderated a "Technology Panel" featuring Frederick and Leonard, as well as Jeremy Howard, Smithfield, and CEO of Distynct BJ Brugman. During this open question-and-answer session, attendees were able to converse with our specialists regarding their own experiences and perspectives on the development, implementation and trade-offs for technologies in swine production. 

Events such as these are not possible without support. We want to thank all the sponsors who helped make the 2022 NCSU Swine Innovation a success. Those not already listed above include: North Carolina Pork Council, Asimetrix, Elanco, DSM, Hog Slat Inc., Evonik, Huvepharma, NutriQuest, PIC and Jyga Technologies. 

The recordings of the NCSU Swine Innovation Forum are now posted online and can be found here.

Source: Jonathan Holt and Bailee Arnold, who are solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly own the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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