Innovative strategies for sustainable pig farming and grain preservation

Farmers need to be financially stable, but with fluctuating grain and feed prices, this can be tough. When production costs rise without a matching increase in market prices, many farmers struggle to stay profitable, leading to fewer pig farms globally.
By 2100, the world population is expected to reach 10 billion. Feeding everyone sustainably while protecting our planet is a major challenge. The pig-farming industry plays a crucial role in this effort, addressing several key sustainability issues.

Properly handling pig waste

Transforming waste into valuable resources like fertiliser helps prevent environmental contamination and promotes sustainable agriculture. Effective effluent management involves treating and recycling waste, thus minimising its environmental impact and contributing to soil health. 

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to combat climate change. This requires innovative farm-management and more efficient feeding practices. Techniques such as using anaerobic digesters to capture methane from manure significantly reduce emissions and create renewable energy sources. 

Raising pigs in humane conditions that meet their needs is both an ethical obligation and important for productivity and meat quality. Practices that ensure adequate space, proper nutrition, and veterinary care lead to healthier and more productive animals, improving overall farm sustainability. 

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, finding new ways to keep pigs healthy, such as improved biosecurity and natural supplements, is critical. These approaches help reduce reliance on antibiotics, mitigating the risk of antibiotic resistance and promoting long-term animal health.

Innovative solutions in grain preservation

Environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, and moisture, strongly influence the development of moulds and mycotoxins in stored grain. Controlling these parameters is crucial for mitigating contamination during storage. In Ireland, the average moisture content of wheat and barley at harvest has exceeded 18 per cent over the past five years, highlighting the requirement for effective preservation. While industrial drying is a conventional method of grain preservation, it raises significant economic and environmental concerns due to its high energy consumption. Variations in the drying process can lead to moisture content inconsistencies within grain batches, potentially creating an environment conducive to mould and mycotoxin production. Conversely, over-drying can result in the denaturation of proteins, thereby diminishing the nutritional value of the grains.

Role of organic acid mould inhibitors

This is an area of research that we have been investigating over the last few years. Recent studies at UCD, carried out by Shane Maher and Ruth Connolly, aimed to investigate whether an organic acid (OA) liquid surfactant mould inhibitor (MycoCURB ES Liquid) could be a superior alternative to conventional drying methods for preserving wheat and barley below the critical dry matter (DM) threshold of 85 per cent. The findings are very promising. Despite variations in moisture content after storage, both preservation methods resulted in grains with similar nutritional compositions on a fresh-weight basis. This finding aligns with previous research suggesting that OAs can serve as a practical and effective alternative to conventional drying methods for cereal grains. Traditionally, a lower DM content is associated with an increased risk of fungal growth and mycotoxin contamination. However, the results of the current studies suggest that the OA mould inhibitor effectively mitigated mould and mycotoxins in both wheat and barley during storage. Dried grains had higher concentrations of harmful mycotoxins like DON, OTA, and HT-2. These toxins can negatively impact animal health, reducing feed intake and growth rates. The study found that OA-preserved grains had lower levels of these toxins, suggesting that the OA method is more effective in preventing fungal contamination.

Healthier pigs and improved performance

The weaning process introduces abrupt nutritional, environmental, and psychological changes for piglets, often resulting in reduced feed intake and transient growth setbacks. These challenges frequently coincide with the onset of post-weaning diarrhoea. Historically, pharmacological levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) and in-feed medication were added to post-weaning pig diets to mitigate these issues. In the UCD studies, the inclusion of ZnO, in both dried and preserved grain diets, reduced diarrhoea incidence during the first 21 days post-weaning. However, pigs offered the preserved grain diet exhibited lower diarrhoea incidence compared to those offered the dried grain diet but not to the same extent as those supplemented with ZnO.

Nutritional strategies and pig performance

Throughout the experimental period, pigs fed the preserved grain diets showed higher average daily feed intake compared to those fed the dried grain diet, with intake levels similar to those supplemented with ZnO. This increase in feed intake partially explains the enhanced average daily gain and improvement in feed efficiency, and the increased final body weight (BW) observed in pigs fed the preserved grain diets. Our studies would have also shown that pigs offered the preserved grain diet showed significant improvements in the coefficient of apparent ileal and total tract digestibility of nutrients compared to pigs offered the dried grain diets, which would partially explain the improved growth performance. 

Microbial composition and pig health

The gut microbial composition can be positively influenced by nutritional interventions to enhance pig performance and health, with OAs playing a significant role in inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms and potentially limiting dysbiosis. In our studies, the abundance of beneficial microbes like Faecalibacterium increased in pigs offered the preserved grain diet, while harmful bacteria like Streptococcus decreased. These changes in gut microbiota likely contributed to the overall improvements in intestinal health and pig performance.

Our studies highlight the potential of using an OA liquid surfactant mould inhibitor as an effective alternative to conventional drying methods for grain preservation. This innovative approach not only maintains grain quality but also supports better health and performance in pigs, particularly during the critical post-weaning period. By reducing mycotoxin levels and improving nutrient digestibility, OA-preserved grains can help enhance pig growth and health, offering a sustainable solution for pig farmers.

Consumers, governments, and retailers are all calling for more sustainable and ethical practices in pig farming. This means the industry must constantly innovate, especially in areas like feed efficiency, diversifying feed sources, and creating products that meet consumer demands. By embracing these changes, pig farmers can help ensure a sustainable future for the industry, our environment, and global food security. The use of OA mould inhibitors for grain preservation is a step in the right direction, offering a practical solution to improve both pig health and farm profitability.