Progress 09/01/17 to 08/23/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is existing and potential organic farmers, their stakeholders, researchers, and agricultural professional. Final results of the project have been communicated with the audience through publications. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During this reporting period, the project provided an opportunity for the PD to present results of the project at a national conference. Over the grant period,the project has provided opportunities for a graduate student and a visiting scholar to be trained in organic pig research, and for the PDs to collaborate with agronomists, soil scientists, applied economists, and environmental scientists to tackle tough issues in organic pig production. The project also provided opportunities for the PDs and the investigators to attend organic conferences and to interact with organic farmers. All these opportunities enhancedthe professional development of the PDs andthe investigators, and supported training of graduate students, undergraduate students, and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporing period, final results have been compiled into manuscripts for publications in peer-reviewed journals, and partial results were presented at the ASAS (American Society of Animal Science) National Conference. Additionally, a white paper oflife cycle assessment on integrating camelina into organic pig production is in preparation for online publication. Over the grant period, available results were disseminated to organic farmers, pig producers, and communities of agriculture through publications and presentations. Articles related to this project were published in social media, newsletters, and newspapers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The most significant barrier to organic swine transition is high feed cost, which contributes 65-70% of total production cost. This project investigated whether growing winter camelina as a feed ingredient could reduce feed cost and increasefinancialreturns for organic pig farmers through a system-approach. The project has been successfully completed and has generated 15 extension articles and abstracts;13 presentations at conferences, seminars, and stakeholder meetings;and 4 manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals (three published or submitted, and one in preparation). Five field-days and two workshops have been organized to deliver findings of the project and related information to stakeholders. Results of this project indicate that the viability of integrating winter camelina into organic pig production depends on production costs, crop yield, and market development for organic pigs and camelina products. Accomplishment of Objective 1) Determine the optimal amount of camelina press-cake as a feed ingredient for pigs: A feeding trial using 192 pigs to test four levels (0% as control, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of camelina press-cake (CPC) to replace corn and soybean meal (SBM) was conducted. Results suggest that replacing corn and SBM with CPC had minimal impact on pork quality (Zhu et al., 2021). Feed intake, weight gain, market weight, carcass weight, and dressing percentage of pigs decreased as dietary CPC inclusion rate increased, but feed efficiency was not affected (Hilbrands et al., 2021). Supplementing up to 10% CPC did not elicit negative effects on carcass traits or pork quality. Accomplishment of Objective 2) Grow organic camelina in a double-crop system with soybeans and evaluate its impact on yield, cost, and return: Winter camelina was grown on 8 ha organic-certified land, as a single crop or relay-planting with soybeans to increase the total yield per hectare. Camelina seed yield was 1,394 kg ha-1 in the monocrop field. The total oil seed (camelina plus soybean) yield in the relay field was 1,894 kg ha-1, accounting for 135% of the camelina yield in the monocrop field. The total of camelina production costs and reduced revenues compared to soybean production was $967 ha-1 for the monocropping scenario and $883 ha-1 for the relay-planting scenario. The camelina seed would need to be sold at a minimum price of $0.69 kg-1 if monocropping, or $1.29 kg-1 if relay-planting to cover production costs and reduced revenues caused by the decreased soybean yield. Although the total yield of camelina and soybean in the relay-planting field was higher than camelina yield in the monocrop field, monocropping camelina is more economical than relay-planting with soybeans due to the difference in production costs. Accomplishment of Objective 3) Determine effects of dietary camelina press-cake supplementation on growth performance and meat quality of pigs that are raised under near-organic conditions: A feeding trial using 400 pigs was conducted under near-organic conditions. Pigs in the control group were fed organic corn and SBM based diets, and pigs in the treatment group were fed diets supplemented with 10% CPC to replace corn and SBM in the control diets for 16 weeks until they reached market weight (120 kg). Supplementation of CPC in pig diets reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG), market weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage of pigs,maybe due to glucosinolates in CPC (2.1 µmol/g of feed). Pigs fed treatment diets were 6.5 kg lighter than pigs fed control diets at market. Theoretically, pigs fed treatment diets would require an additional 6 to 7 days (based on ADG of 1.01 kg) to reach the final body weight of pigs fed control diets. Feed efficiency was not affected by dietary CPC inclusion. Dietary CPC supplementation did not affect pork quality (pH at 45 minutes and 24 hours after harvest, water holding capacity for juiciness, shear force value for tenderness, marbling scores and color scores for visual appearance), backfat thickness (at the first, 10th, and last ribs), belly firmness (measured by belly hang angle) or belly thickness. Supplementation of CPC in diets increased liver weight in pigs, indicating that glucosinolates in CPC increased metabolic burden on the liver of pigs. These results indicate that supplementing 10% CPC to replace corn and SBM in diets fed to pigs under near organic conditions did not affect feed efficiency or pork quality, but required an additional week for the pigs to reach the desired market weight. Accomplishment of Objective 4) Economic analysis and life cycle assessment of two organic swine-cropping systems with and without camelina integration: Based on data collected for Objectives 2 and 3, and available data from CFFM (2021), the economicfeasibility of integrating camelina into organic pig production was evaluated. The maximum purchase price of CPC that an organic pig producer would be willing to pay to cover the production costs is $0.20 kg-1. To be economically feasible, the minimum camelina oil sale price is $7.59 kg-1 if relay-planting or $3.59 kg-1 if monocropping. Collectively, results of the economic analysis suggest that the viability of integrating camelina into organic swine production would depend on market development for organic pigs and camelina oil. Environmental impacts of integrating camelina into organic pig production were modelled using three standard metrics (greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), fossil energy use, and agricultural land use). Four scenarios (single vs. relay-planting with soybeans with actual vs. expected yield) of camelina production were examined. The use of camelina generated in this study by relay-cropping was compared to camelina produced in a single crop system. Two camelina relay systems (data from this study's actual vs. expected) were compared with the existing soybean system. The organic crop-pig production system was broken down into three areas: camelina cropping, processing of camelina grain into oil and CPC, and feeding CPC to pigs. Results indicate that for camelina in the four camelina cropping scenarios, GHG productionwas up to 380% higher and fossil energy use was up to 350% higher than in the soybean system, which was caused by energy use for camelina grain drying and fertilizer application. Likewise, winter organic camelina, produced either as a single crop or as a crop relayed with soybeans did not provide land use benefits when compared with soybean production in the region because camelina yields are lower than soybean yields. Fossil energy use for processing camelina was 1.06 MJ kg-1 CPC, while GHG production was 0.0782 kg CO2 eq. kg-1 CPC. This compares to 0.587 MJ and 0.044 kg CO2 eq. per kg-1 SBM. Additionally, fossil energy use was higher for pigs fed diets supplemented with CPC (3.50 MJ kg-1 live weight pork (LW)) compared to that for pigs fed corn and SBM in the control group (3.03 MJ kg-1 LW). The same pattern was seen in GHG emissions, where pigs fed diets supplemented with CPC had GHG emissions of 1.43 kg CO2 eq. kg-1 LW, compared to 1.31 kg CO2 eq. kg-1 LW for pigs in the control group. The exploratory life cycle assessment conducted for this project indicates that the use of organic CPC produced in relay-planting is not beneficial for reducing the selected environmental impacts (GHG, fossil energy, or land use) in organic swine production. With lower yields than soybeans, the environmental impacts of camelina produced in both cropping system (mono- and relay-cropping) were higher than soybeans. These increased environmental impacts followed the camelina grain into processing and use of camelina products in the downstream systems, such as organic pig production.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Zhu, Y., R. Cox, L. J. Johnston, C. Reese, F. Forcella, R. W. Gusch, and Y. Z. Li. 2021. Effects of increasing inclusion of camelina press-cake in diets fed to growing-finishing pigs on pork quality. Appl. Anim. Sci. 37:357-366.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Hilbrands, A. M., L. J. Johnston, R. B. Cox, W. F. Lazarus, F. Forcella, R. Gesch, and Y. Z. Li. Camelina meal as an
alternative ingredient in growing-finishing pig diets
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Hilbrands, A. M., L. J. Johnston, R. B. Cox, W. F. Lazarus, F. Forcella, and R. Gesch, and Y. Z. Li. Utilizing camelina meal as an alternative feed ingredient in finisher pig diets.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Y. Z. Li, W. F. Lazarus, C. Reese, A. M. Hilbrands, R. B. Cox, F. Forcella, R. W. Gesch, and L. J. Johnston. Integrating camelina into organic pig production Impact on growth performance of pigs, costs, and returns
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Yuzhi Li. 2021. Feeding camelina to organic pigs. WCROC Newsletter. May 2021.
https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/research/swine/camelina-meal-organic-pigs
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Lazarus, W. F. 2019. Camelina meal breakeven value calculations based on feeding trial results at the 10% and 5% replacement levels. An article shared with a state representative on the Winter Camelina Field Day. Waseca, MN. June 14, 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2018 (invited). Organic swine production in the United States. Presented at MN Organic Conference, St Cloud, MN. Jan 11-12, 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2018. Project overview. Presented at the Winter Camelina Field Day, organized by Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and University of Minnesota. Waseca, MN. June 27, 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2021. Reducing feed cost in organic pig production - Research update on camelina project. Presented to West Central Research and Outreach Center Advisory Committee on Feb. 23, 2021.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2021. Reducing piglet mortality in a bedded, group farrowing systems. Presented at the Freedom in farrowing and lactation virtual workshop, Copenhagen, Denmark. Aug. 12-13, 2021.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Tallaksen, J. Life cycle assessment of integrating camelina into organic swine production. In preparation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2018 (invited). Behavior, welfare, and organic swine production Swine Research Update. Presented at 2018 Chinas Symposium on Livestock and Poultry Environment and Precision Animal Husbandry. Harbin, China. Sept. 3-5, 2018.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2018. Behavior, welfare, and organic swine production Swine Research Update. Presented to Regional Extension Officers of the University of Minnesota. Morris, MN. Sept. 20, 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2019 (Invited). Reducing piglet mortality in loose farrowing systems. Presented at the Midwest Organic Pork Conference, Waterloo, IA. Mar. 8, 2019.
|
Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is existing and potential organic farmers, their stakeholders, researchers, and agricultural professional. Preliminary results and progress of the project have been communicated with the audience through publications and filed days. Changes/Problems:The project has been approved for one-year extension without additional cost. The new expiration date of the grant is set at August 31, 2021. The extended period will allow us to collect all data as proposed and complete the project successfully. In the animal trial for Objective 3, 80 pigs per group was proposed. However, sows did not perform well and had higher pre-weaning mortality under near-organic conditions than expected. The first group of sows (n=16) only weaned 123 pigs. Among them, 100 healthy pigs were selected for the first replicate of the animal trial, with 50 pigs being allocated to each treatment group. To keep the group size consistent across all replicates, 50 pigs per group was used. While the group size was reduced, all data collection and the number of pigs used for meat quality tests remained the same as proposed. Thus, the change in the group size will not affect the quality of the data or conclusions of the animal trial. Due to interruptions of COVID-19 pandemic, a planned presentation at the national ASAS conference was canceled, and consequently, an abstract was not published during this reporting period. The abstract will be submitted to a conference next year. Field days were changed to virtual. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided opportunities for a graduate student and a visiting scholar to be trained in organic pig research, and for the PDs to collaborate with agronomists, soil scientists, applied economists, and environmental scientists to tackle tough issues in organic pig production. The project also provided opportunities for the PDs and investigators of this project to attend organic conferences and to interact with organic farmers. All these opportunities directly benefit the professional development of the PDs and the investigators, and indirectly enhance training graduate students, undergraduate students, and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Available results have been disseminated to organic farmers, pig producers, and communities of agriculture through publications and presentations. Articles related to this project were published in social media, newsletters, and newspapers. The project was presented on virtual field days to researchers, farmers, and stakeholders. Virtual field days were organized by the University of Minnesota and USDA-ARS Morris, MN. Winter Camelina: Environmental benefits, breeding, and agronomics. May 26th, 2020. Winter Camelina: Food science and end use application. June 2nd, 2020. Winter Camelina: Supply chain and market development. June 9th, 2020. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Publish the results in peer-reviewed journals Objective 2: Conduct an economic analysis of the organic winter camelina system compared to a traditional organic system. Objective 3: Complete the animal trial and lab work for meat quality tests. Conduct statistical analyses of the data, and draft a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Objective 4: Complete data collection of input and output for two organic swine-cropping systems with and without camelina integration. Conduct economic and life cycle analysis for each system. Draft a manuscript for publication. All activities mentioned above will be communicated with organic farmers, and other interested audience through seminars, conferences, newsletters, social media, and publications. Four manuscripts will be prepared for publication. Progress of the project will be updated in newsletters of the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center, and the University of Minnesota Extension website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is the first to investigate integrating winter cover crops - camelina into organic pig production systems. The overarching goal is to evaluate whether growing winter camelina as a feed ingredient could reduce feed cost and increase financial return for organic pig farmers. Objective 1 (Evaluate the optimal supplemental amount of camelina meal as an alternative feed ingredient for pigs) was achieved by using 192 pigs to test four levels (0% as control, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of camelina meal to replace corn and soybean meal. Results suggest that replacing corn and soybean meal with camelina meal at 10% or lower level will not have a significant impact on the growth and meat quality of organic pigs. All data were subjected to statistical analysis and are ready for publication. Currently, two manuscripts (one for growth performance and another for meat quality) are prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The field work for Objective 2 (Grow organic camelina in a double-crop system with soybean and evaluate its impact on total yield and cost return) was completed during this report period. Winter camelina was seeded on 20 acres of organic-certified land at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC). Among the 20 acres, 11 acres were used for a single crop of camelina and the other 9 acres were used for relay cropping with soybeans. Row spacing was 6 inches for the camelina in the monocrop field, with a seeding rate of 7 lb per acre. In the relay cropping field, camelina was seeded the same way except that a row was skipped every 30 inches, with a seeding rate of 5 lb per acre. Soybean was seeded at 180,000 seeds per acre in the 30-inch skip rows in the relay cropping field. Camelina was harvested 40 days after soybean was seeded. At harvest, soybeans in the relay cropping field were in the 4-leaf stage. During harvest, camelina was cut about 8 inches above the ground in the monocrop field and about 12 inches above the ground in the relay cropping field to avoid cutting the soybeans. The difference in cutting height between the monocrop and relay cropping field may be associated with low yield of camelina in the relay crop field because camelina seed pods between 8 and 12 inches were not harvested. Camelina yield was 1,404 lb per acre in the monocrop field and 689 lb per acre in the relay crop field, with 25% moisture content. The cool wet spring/summer resulted in a later harvest date and higher moisture content for camelina. In general, yield of organic camelina is comparable to yield of conventional camelina which is about 800 to 1200 lb per acre. Yield of soybean in the relay crop field was 18 bu per acre, which was about 1/3 to half the yield of organic soybean in monocrop systems. Camelina seeds were cold-pressed at an organic oilseed processing plant. Camelina seed and meal were analyzed for amino acid profile, crude protein, fatty acid profile, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and energy content. Camelina meal generated has been used in the animal trial for Objective 3. To achieve Objective 3 (Effect of camelina meal supplementation on growing performance and meat quality of pigs raised under near-organic conditions), 120 pregnant sows in four contemporary groups were fed organic feed and managed near-organically from the 3rd trimester. Each group consisted of 30 sows in two gestation pens. Among them, 16 sows farrowed within a week in two bedded rooms (8 sows/room) under near-organic conditions. In total, 64 sows generated 400 pigs for the study. The pigs were used in four replicates to achieve Objective 3. Within each replicate, 100 pigs balanced for sex were housed in two pens in a growing-finishing hoop barn. One pen housed a control group of pigs fed corn-soybean basal diets, and another pen housed a treatment group of pigs fed basal diets supplemented with 10% of camelina meal. Pigs received control or treatment diet after a two-week adaptation period to the hoop barn and remained on their dietary treatments for 16 weeks until they reached market weight of 110-120 kg. Feed intake was recorded on a group basis. Feed usage by sows were recorded from the 3rd trimester (from 80 days after breeding) until weaning. Feed intake of nursery pigs in each group-farrowing room was recorded, and average daily feed intake for pigs in each room was estimated. For growing-finishing pigs, feed addition was recorded for each pen. Leftover feed in each feeder was weighed every four weeks, and again at the end of the study when all pigs were marketed. Average feed intake was estimated using the total amount of feed addition divided by the number of pigs and the number of days on feed. All pigs were weighed individually at weaning before being transferred to the growing-finishing barn, every four weeks thereafter, and when pigs reached market weights. Average daily gain and feed efficiency were calculated for the nursery and growing-finishing period, respectively. Among the four replicates proposed for the animal trial, two replicates have been completed, and the other two replicates are in the process of data collection. The last objective (Objective 4: Economic analysis and life cycle assessment of two organic swine-cropping systems with and without camelina integration) has been addressed throughout the entire process of the project. Since the animal trial is still in progress, final economic analysis and life cycle assessment is not available at this point.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Diane DeWitte. 2019. U of M currently conducting organic swine research. Available at: https://www.thelandonline.com/news/u-of-m-currently-conducting-organic-swine-research/article_888dc06c-0c97-11ea-b2c4-4fb4bdbca935.html
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Johnston, L., Y. Li, A. Hilbrands, R. Cox, W. Lazarus, W. Martin, F. Forcella, R. Gesch. 2019. Is feed camelina meal to pigs a good option? Farm Journals Pork. Available at: https://www.porkbusiness.com/article/feeding-camelina-meal-pigs-good-option
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Johnston, L., Y. Li, A. Hilbrands, R. Cox, W. Lazarus, W. Martin, F. Forcella, R. Gesch. 2019. Camelina use may support pig growth, soil health. Feed Navigator. com. Available at: https://www.feednavigator.com/Article/2019/04/18/Camelina-use-may-support-pig-growth-soil-health
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Reese, C., Y. Li, R. Gesch, and F. Forcella. Growing winter Camelina organically. 2020. WCROC. Newsletter. April. 2020. https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/wcroc-news/organic-winter-camelina
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2020. Can camelina meal be used as a feed ingredient to reduce parasites in organic pig production? WCROC. Newsletter. June 2020. Available at: https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/wcroc-news/camelina-feed-ingredient
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hilbrands, A. M., L. J. Johnston, R. B. Cox, W. F. Lazarus, F. Forcella, R. Gesch, and Y. Z. Li. Camelina meal as an alternative ingredient in growing-finishing pig diets (Abstract, waiting for publication)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hilbrands, A. M., L. J. Johnston, R. B. Cox, W. F. Lazarus, F. Forcella, and R. Gesch, and Y. Z. Li. Utilizing camelina meal as an alternative feed ingredient in finisher pig diets. (in preparation)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Y. Zhu, R. Cox, L. J. Johnston, C. Reese, R. Gesch, and Y. Z. Li. Effect of dietary supplementation of camelina meal to growing-finishing pigs on pork quality (in preparation)
|
Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is existing and potential organic farmers, their stakeholders, researchers, and agricultural professional. Audiences have communicated with the preliminary results and progress of the project at conferences, seminars, meetings, and field days, and through publications. Camelina meal as a potential energy and protein source for organic pigs was discussed with the audience through presentations. Changes/Problems:Personnel changes during the project period. Dr. Frank Forcella, a senior/key investigator of the project from the USDA-ARS Soil Lab at Morris, MN retired in 2019. Dr. Forcella was a consultant on camelina production for this project. His role has been successfully filled by Dr. Russ Gesch (a senior/key investigator), who plays the same role as Dr. Forcella. As a result, the departure of Dr. Forcella has not affected and will not affect the successful completion of this project. This change in personnel will not involve any change in budget since there is no budget for consultants (both Dr. Forcella and Dr. Gesch) in the grant. Request for one year no-cost extension. This project is the first attempt to grow and harvest camelina seed on organic land. Harvesting and processing organic camelina crops are very different from conventional production which uses herbicide (such as 'Round-Up') to kill camelina and let it stand drying. In organic production, however, camelina seed is harvested fresh. As a result, camelina seed that we harvested organically has moisture content much higher than desired(about 25% vs 12% expected). Consequently, it takes much longer for us to dry and process the seed than expected, and camelina meal will not be ready for the animal trial until September 2019. On the other hand, pigs are born every 2.5 months at the WCROC. The delay in camelina meal supply pluspig production schedule will push back the first animal trial for Objective 3 for six months. As a result, the animal trial will not be completed by Feb 2021. To complete the project as proposed, we have to request for one-year extension without additional cost. The new expiration date of the grant will be August 31, 2021. The extended period will allow us to collect all data as proposed and complete the project successfully. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided opportunities for a graduate student and an undergraduate student to be trained for conducting organic pig research, and for the PD to collaborate with agronomists, soil scientists, applied economists, and environmental scientists to tackle tough issues in organic pig production. The project also provided opportunities for the PD and investigators of this project to attend organic conferences, participate in workshops and field days, and interact with organic farmers. All these opportunities not only benefit the professional development of the PD and investigators of this project, but also enhance training graduate students, undergraduate students, and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Available results have been disseminated to organic farmers, pig producers, and communities of agriculture through publications and presentations. Articles related to this project were published in social media, newsletters, and newspapers. The project was presented at seminars, field days and meetings for researchers, farmers, organic pig producers, and stakeholders (see Products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Continue to analyze the data, present the results at professional conferences, and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal Objective 2: Continue to collect data of input and output of organic soybean production in the double cropping system, in the corn/soybean rotation system, analyze camelina seed and camelin meal for fatty acid profile, crude protein, and energy content Objective 3: Continue to conduct the animal trial under near-organic production conditions, and collect data of pig performance and meat quality Objective 4: Continue to collect data of input and output for crop (soybean and corn) and pig production under near-organic conditions. All activities mentioned above will be communicated with organic farmers, and other interested audience through field days, seminars, conferences, newsletters, social media, and publications. Two abstracts and one manuscript will be prepared for publication. Progress of the project will be updated in newsletters of the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center, and the University of Minnesota Extension website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project is the first to investigate integrating winter cover crops - camelina into organic pig production systems. The overarching goal is to evaluate whether growing winter camelina as a feed ingredient could reduce feed cost and increasefinancial returns for organic pig farmers. To achieve Objective 1 (Evaluate the optimal supplemental amount of camelina meal as an alternative feed ingredient for pigs), an animal trial using 192 pigs (average initial weight = 75 lb, 11 wk old) was conducted. Four levels of camelina meal to replace corn and soybean meal (SBM) were tested: 0% (as control), 5%, 10%, and 15%. Growth performance of pigs was monitored for 12 week until market weight of 270 lb. Meat quality was measured and liver weight were recorded on focal pigs (n = 6/treatment) and carcass data were collected on all pigs at the processing plant. Preliminary results indicate that in general, replacing corn and SBM with camelina meal reduced average daily gain in pigs by 5% (by 3.8%, 4.5% and 6.2% reduction for 5%, 10%, and 15% replacement, respectively). Supplementation of camelina meal in the diet did not affect feed intake or feed efficiency of pigs. To reach the same market weight of control pigs, pigs supplemented with camelina meal need 3 to 6 more days (3 days for 5%, 4 days for 10% and 6 days for 15% supplementation) which is considered acceptable in organic swine production. In addition, supplemental camelina meal did not affect meat quality or carcass traits in pigs. These preliminary results suggest that replacing corn and soybean meal with camelina meal at 10% or lower level should not have significant impact on growth or meat quality of pigs. To achieve Objective 2 (Grow organic camelina in a double-crop system with soybean and evaluate its impact on total yield and cost return), camelina was sown on 10 acres of organic land at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in fall of 2018 and harvested in summer of 2019 organically. In spring of 2019, soybean was sown in the organic camelina field and the double cropping system was maintained until camelina was harvested. Another 10 acres of organic land were planted with corn and soybean rotation as control. Data for economic analysis and life cycle assessment of camelina production were collected as described in the proposal. To achieve Objective 3 (Effect of camelina meal supplementation on growing performance and meat quality of pigs raised under near-organic conditions), the first group of sows were bred and managed as described in the proposal to produce near-organic pigs. Currently, the animal trial is in the stage of farrowing and lactation. Data collection for economic analysis and life cycle assessment are in progress. The last objective (Objective 4: Economic analysis and life cycle assessment of two organic swine-cropping systems with and without camelina integration) has been addressed throughout the entire process of the project. Economic analysis for replacing non-GMO corn/SBM with camelina meal was conducted using the data generated for Objective 1. Initial analysis indicate that the breakeven value of the camelina meal was $0.106/lb ($218/ton) for 10% replacement and $0.149/lb ($299/ton) for 5% replacement. Because organic corn and SBM are more expensive than non-GMO corn and SBM, the breakeven value of camelina to replace organic corn and SBM would be higher than the breakeven value of camelina to replace non-GMO corn and SBM. These preliminary results suggest that replacing corn/SBM with camelina meal to reduce feed cost in organic pig production will depend on cost of producing/processing camelina and pigs. We willbe able to address this issue better when all field trials are completed for this project. Currently, input and output data collection for animal and crop production is in progress. Life cycle assessment is not available at this point because data collection is still in progress.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Johnston, L., Y. Li, A. Hilbrands, R. Cox, W. Lazarus, W. Martin, F. Forcella, R. Gesch. 2019. Feeding camelina meal to pigs. National Hog Farmer. Apr 11 NHF Daily. Available at: https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/livestock/feeding-camelina-meal-pigs?
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Johnston, L., Y. Li, A. Hilbrands, R. Cox, W. Lazarus, W. Martin, F. Forcella, R. Gesch. 2019. Feeding camelina meal to pigs. Swineweb.com. May 7, 2019. Available at: http://www.swineweb.com/feeding-camelina-meal-to-pigs/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. 2018. Organic swine research at the WCROC Reducing feed cost by utilizing camelina cover crops. WCROC. Newsletter. Dec. 2018. https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/wcroc-news/camelina
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y., L. Johnston, C. Reese, J. Tallaksen, Frank Forcella2, Russ Gesch2, W. Lazarus, R. Cox, and W. Martin. 2019. Integrating winter camelina into organic pig production systems. Stevens County Times - Morris Sun Tribune, Mar. 11, 2019. Farm Section Addition 2019. Available at: https://issuu.com/morrissuntribune/docs/2019_farm
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Features from the Farm: News from the West Central Research and Outreach Center - Organic Swine Production. Stevens County Times - Morris Sun Tribune. Oct. 30, 2017. Available at:
https://www.stevenscountytimes.com/business/4351358-features-farm-news-west-central-research-and-outreach-center.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Dr. Li Awarded Funding for Organic Swine Production Research. Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota. 2018. Available at: https://www.ansci.umn.edu/li-organic-swine
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y., L. Johnston, B. Heins, R. Cox, W. Lazarus, J. Tallaksen, W. Martin, F. Forcella, R. Gesch, R. Carr, and A. Hernandez. 2019. Organic Swine Research at the University of Minnesota. Department of Animal Science Showcase, University of Minnesota. St Paul. MN. Apr. 3, 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. 2019. Organic swine research update. Livestock Extension Educators Gathering. Jan 16, St Paul. MN.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. 2019. Utilization of cover crops by pigs. 2019 Research and Outreach Center Research Update. Feb. 12 Morris, MN. Feb. 13, Lamberton, MN.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. 2019. Utilizing camelina meal to reduce feed cost in organic pig production. Winter Camelina Field Day. June 11, Waseca, MN.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is existing and potential organic farmers, their stakeholders, agricultural researchers and educators. The audience hasbeenreached throughfocus-group meetings atthe MN Organic Conference andMOSES Annual Meeting, andthe organic swine workshops organized bythis research team.Camelina meal as a potential energy and protein source for organic pigs has been discussed with the audience. Changes/Problems:There are no changes in milestones or deliverables. The amount of camelinameal that has been providedby the Forever Green Initiatives Teamfrom 2017 cropsis not adequate for the animal trial (Trial 1) to achieve Objective 1. As a result, we have contracted with a localfarmer whowill provide enoughcamelina meal (4 tons)from his 2018 crops for Trial 1.Camelina seeds will be harvested in late June or early July of 2018. Consequently, the animal trial willcommence in August of2018, and is anticipated to conclude in December of 2018. The new completion date forTrial 1 is 2 months behindtheschedule orignially planned. However, this schedule change will not affect schedules for other trialsof this project orthe total budget of the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided opportunities for the PD to collaborate with agonomists, soil scientists, agricultural economists, and environmental scientists. The PD and other team membershave participated in workshops and field days ofcover crops (camelina) production and research. These activities benefit the professional development of the PD and team members. Inaddition,the project provides opportunities for agraduate student and two undergraduate students to be trained for conducting research in organic pig and organic agricultural production. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project has been announced in an news release of the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center(https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/news/transition-organic-swine). In addition, progress of the project has been reported at the following research meetings: Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) - USDA ARS NCSCRL (Soil Lab) research meeting, Oct. 27, 2017, Morris, MN; Pennycress/Camelina All Team Meeting by the Forever Green Initiatives, Dec 19, 2017, Webinar; AURI & USDA ARS NCSCRL Regional Forum, Mar. 27, 2018, Morris, MN. And atfarmers and stakeholders meetings: Farmers Focus Group Discussion at MN Organic Conference, Jan 11, 2018, St Cloud, MN. Roundtable Discussion at MOSES Conference, Feb. 23, 2018, La Crosse, WI. Organic Swine Production Workshop, Apr. 12, 2018, Rochester, MN. Researchers, farmers and stakeholders arevery supportive and willing to collaborate on the project. They look forward to the results and outcomes of the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the coming year, we will continue to conduct animal trials to evaluate feeding value of camelina meal to pigs under near-organic conditions and evaluate meat quality of pork as affected by supplementation of camelina meal (Objective 1), grow corn, soybean, and winter cover crops (camelina) on organic land to evaluate input and output of the land with growing two or three crops in two years, and analyze quality and composition of camelina seeds and camelina meal (Objective 2). Meanwhile, two field days to demonstrate camelina production and one workshop to share experiences of raising organic pigs with dietary supplementation of camelina meal will be organized for organic farmers and stakeholders (Deliverable Outcomes). This project utilizes a systems-approach to address critical issues in organic swine transition. Ultimately,this project will increase and sustain organic swine production by increasing the number of organic pig farmers and the number of pigs raised organically.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Since the commencement of the project in September 2017, the project hasprogressed as planned. Research protocols for animal trials have been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Minnesota. A portion of the requiredcamelina meal (1,200 lb) has been provided by the collaborators (University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiatives and USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab). Additional camelina meal from the 2018 crop has been contracted with a local farmer to secure anadequate amount for the firstanimal trial (Trial 1) to satisfyObjective 1. Pigs that will beused to satisfyObjective 1 havearrived and the animal trialwill commence in August of 2018. Non-GMO corn and soybean meal forTrial 1 have been purchased as planned (Objective 1). Organically-certifiedcorn has been planted on 20 acres of organic-certifiedland at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (Objective 2). Data collection of inputs for organic corn production for economic and life cycle analysis (Objective 2) is in progress according to the project timeline. Camelina was planted in September, 2017 on a two-acretest plot on the West Central Research and Outreach Center's research farm to gain experience in planting and managing camelinafor this project.We continue to investigatebest practices forcamelina production. During the 2017-2018 season, wecompared camelinaplanted instanding corn with camelinano-till planted in stubble afterwheatharvest. All these efforts provide valuable information and experiences for us to complete the project successfully.
Publications
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