Livestock Innovation

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https://www.livestockresearch.ca/article/the_road_ahead

LRIC in the news 

Coming events

September 18, Elora ON: Poultry Service Association emergency management information session

October 15, TBD: Join LRIC on a journey to improve Getting Research Into Practice

Learn more here: https://www.livestockresearch.ca/events

Mentorship program

September 25, Guelph ON: LRIC is accepting applications for its 2024-25 Mentorship Program for early career faculty. Learn more here:  https://www.livestockresearch.ca/early_faculty_mentorship_program

Funding opportunities

• Increasing Deadstock Capacity Initiative: Agricultural Adaptation Council, closing September 15, 2024

• Ontario Pork open call for Research Letters of Intent, Ontario Pork, closing October 14, 2024

• Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands intake: Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association, open until budget fully allocated

• Rapid Response for Business Development: Grand River Agricultural Society, closing December 31, 2024

Visit LRIC's website for more information on the funding opportunities:
https://livestockresearch.ca/call_for_research_proposals 

Sector-specific innovation highlights*

Poultry: Apple waste could boost gut health

Researchers at Cornell University has found that introducing apple fibre into poultry rations offers gut bacteria-boosting benefits. This is thanks to the phytochemicals and prebiotics found in apples, and apple pulp and pomace – what’s left over after juicing – could be repurposed from mostly a waste stream into an upcycled feed ingredient. 

Read more: https://ambrook.com/research/studies/chickens-gut-health-food-waste-apple-scraps
 

Swine: New surveillance tools to protect the pork industry 

A team of researchers in the United States and Uganda is putting emerging genetic technology to work to create a next-gen surveillance method to protect the pork industry against African Swine Fever. The team is working on developing tools that will quantify contact between pigs and soft-bodied ticks that are known to be vectors of African Swine Fever with the goal of preventing the virus from establishing in the United States. 

Read more: https://www.swineweb.com/animalhealth/protecting-the-u-s-pork-industry-from-african-swine-fever-virus/

Beef: Supplementing with zinc before transport could boost cattle welfare  

Research at Iowa State University is focused on the potential that increased zinc levels before transport could have on cattle. The new study is building on previous research that found higher zinc levels after transport can increase performance of feedlot steers; the goal now is to determine whether zinc at higher levels before transport can ease muscle fatigue, which will support better health, welfare and long-term growth in cattle. 

Read more: https://www.thebeefsite.com/news/zinc-supplementation-prior-to-transport-could-benefit-cattle-welfare-performance

Dairy: Simplifying cattle management with facial recognition 

An app powered by artificial intelligence can identify dairy cattle in a snap, literally. By taking a photo of an animal’s head up to 50 feet away, farmers and farm workers can pull up specific information about an animal on the spot. Developed by start-up 406 Bovine, the technology could remove the need for physical trackers like ear tags and give farmers and herd managers easier access to information for decision-making on the go. 

Read more: https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2024/07/22/406-Bovine-s-AI-powered-app-brings-facial-recognition-to-the-dairy-farm 

Small ruminants: Genetic tool can reduce lamb loss

A new tool can decrease lamb mortality by making it easier to detect gene variations that can have devastating impacts if they are found in both ram and ewe. A recent project using the technology in French dairy sheep helped identify a variant in a gene affecting newborn lamb viability. 

Read more: https://www.agri-tech-e.co.uk/3cr-bioscience-reduces-loss-of-lambs-through-rapid-id-of-genetic-markers/

Aquaculture: How Apple’s approach to innovation is influencing aquatech

Apple’s approach to innovation includes user-focused design, intuitive functionality and smooth user experiences is steering the evolution of technology in the aquaculture industry. Historically, it has been tough to adapt technology to aquaculture’s unique and demanding conditions; now companies are addressing those needs with more user-focused tools that will make them more intuitive and accessible to fish farming businesses. 

Read more: https://www.aquafeed.co.uk/what-is-the-ripple-effect-of-apples-approach-to-innovations-on-aquatech/ 
 

Cross-sector innovation highlights*

Animal health: Identifying how avian influenza infects cattle

Research from Iowa State University have found a possible “why” connection to the discovery of Avian Influenza virus in raw milk. Cow udder tissue holds receptors to AI virus, which could be why cows are becoming infected – and some research has been found to show that the virus can live on milking machines for a few hours after being used on an infected cow, offering at least one insight into potential spread. 

Read more: https://www.agriculture.com/isu-research-identifies-possible-point-of-entry-for-avian-flu-in-cattle-8678971 

Climate change: Ground-breaking alliance forms to create sustainable future for livestock farming

A strategic partnership between the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the International Livestock Research Institute and the University of Queensland has solidified a ground-breaking research alliance to create a sustainable future for livestock-based food systems. The work will be focused on transforming livestock production in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. 

Read more: https://global-partnerships.uq.edu.au/article/2024/07/uq-ilri-alliance-livestock-resilience
 

Food waste: Could livestock feed be a solution? 

Food waste is a global problem on the rise, but a study by researchers in China and the United States suggests repurposing it for animal feed will bring livestock productivity benefits. Although currently banned in Europe due to fears of disease transmission, the practice could be revived by processing food waste into suitable alternative feed products. Ensuring proper nutritional balance in livestock rations will also be key. 

Read more: https://farmingfuturefood.com/research-makes-case-for-feeding-animals-food-waste/

On the horizon*

New Zealand rolls back environmental policies

In hopes of boosting its sagging economy, New Zealand is scrapping its clean, green policies. This includes pushing the implementation of pricing on agricultural emissions back by five years. The agriculture sector has argued that the emission pricing strategy would have made dairy and meat too costly to produce in the small island nation. 

Read more: https://www.thebeefsite.com/news/new-zealand-scraps-clean-green-policies-to-boost-economy 

Technology alone won’t be enough to transform the food system

The true cost of food is undervalued, as is food as a tool to achieve strategic goals like increased productivity, social cohesion and building attractive, well-functioning urban habitats, suggests an op/ed by Swedish food tech leaders. Innovation or technology alone will not be enough to drive change; this major societal shift will require new policy frameworks. 

Read more: https://agfundernews.com/technology-alone-wont-suffice-when-it-comes-to-transforming-the-food-system 
 

*Articles in this newsletter are selected for relevance and interest to the livestock sector. LRIC does not verify claims made by the article authors and we recognize that not all data is specific to Ontario. The intent is to select articles that will expose readers to issues, perceptions and developments that have the potential to impact livestock production. 

Thanks for reading. We'd love to hear your feedback about LRIC - both about what we're doing and what you think we should be doing! Please contact us at info@livestockresearch.ca with any questions or comments.

The Livestock Innovation Corporation is funded in part by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.