Progress 09/01/18 to 08/25/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is organic farmers, their stakeholders, researchers, and agricultural professional. Outcomes of the project have been communicated with the target audience through presentations at conferences, seminars, and stakeholders' meetings; demonstrations at field days, facilities tours, and workshops; and publications in popular press, social media, and peer-reviewed journals. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities for the PDs and investigators to interact with organic farmers, researchers and agricultural professionals through conferences, webinars, virtual workshops, field days, and facility tours. A total of 13 undergraduate students, a graduate student, a visiting scholar, a research associate, and several research interns have been trained in organic swine research, on-farm data collection, and lab analysis for internal parasites of pigs. Additionally, Rodale Institute has a farmer training program where more than 40 trainees engaged in daily activities of this project. These activities include animal husbandry, pasture and manure management, and data collection. All these opportunities directly benefit the professional development of PDs and investigators of this project and enhance training students and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, conferences, workshops, and field days were held both virtually and in-person throughout the project period. The PDs and investigators were invited to present results of the project at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) annual conference in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Audience of organic farmers, researchers, extension specialists, and agriculturalprofessionals across the country participated in the conferences and learned management strategies for controlling parasites in organic pigs. Additionally, webinars and field days were organized at Rodale Institute to deliver outcomes of this project to organic farmers and their stakeholders nationwide. Results from this project were shared with audiences in-person at the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section annual conference, International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals, US Composting Council Conference, PASA Sustainable Agriculture conference, and MOSES annual conference through oral and poster presentations. Progress of the project was communicated with organic communities at each of Rodale Institute's Annual Field Day during the project period with over 400 organic farmers and their stakeholders in attendance. Furthermore, the project was highlighted at several events at Rodale Institute, including the Virtual Field Day, the Media Influencer event, the Media Ambassador event, three Rodale Institute Alumni events, and numerous onsite facility tours conducted annually. Finally, the project was disseminated to broader audiences through publications in peer-reviewed journals,newspapers, newsletters, and social media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Internal parasite infection is a common problem in organic pig production that can compromise health and growth of pigs, threaten food safety of pork products, and cause economic losses to organic farmers. To understand parasite infection and transmission on organic pig farms, we investigated the infection prevalence of three intestinal roundworm parasites, the large roundworm (Ascaris suum), nodular worm (Oesophagostomum spp.) and whipworm (Trichuris suis) on nine organic and transitioning pig farms across four states. Analysis of pig feces, pasture soil, and bedding samples indicated that all farms were infected with at least one parasite species. A cross-sectional study demonstrated that Ascaris suum eggs were more prevalent in growing-finishing pigs' feces than in sows' feces. Two management strategies, composting manure and biofumigation of pastures, were tested for controlling parasite transmission in organic pigs. Composting manure reduced the number of parasite eggs during the summer, but not during the winter in Pennsylvania. The effectiveness of biofumigation as an approach to swine parasite control in pastures was not confirmed in this project. The project has successfully completed and produced 28 presentations at conferences, seminars, and stakeholder meetings; 10 extension articles and abstracts; and four manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals (two published or submitted, two in preparation). Eight field days and workshops have been organized to deliver findings of the project to organic farmers and their stakeholders. Results of the project were summarized and presented to organic farmers at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Conference, the largest organic conference in the United States, in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Accomplishment of Objective 1): Nine organic and transitioning pig farms across four states (MN, IA, WI, and PA) were visited. Fecal, bedding and pasture soil samples were collected for analysis of the prevalence and intensity of parasite infection. Results indicate that 89%, 56%, and 44% of farms were infected with A. suum, O. spp., and T. suis, respectively. A cross-sectional study indicated that prevalence of infection with A. suum was higher in finishing pigsthan in growing pigs (74% vs. 45%; p < 0.001). Parasite infection did not affect growth performance, however, pigs with A. suum worms at slaughter contained many white spots (tissue lesion) on the liver, which is an economic loss to organic farmers due to rejection of the pig liver for human consumption. To control A. suum infection, future research should investigate the efficacy of treating pigs with organically approved anthelmintics during the growing phase of production. Accomplishment of Objective 2): Bedding-packed manure was removed from pig pens and placed in windrows for composting in 3 summer and 2 winter trials. Compost was sampled for analysis of A. suum, O. spp., and T. suis eggs before composting and again weekly for up to eight weeks. Composting temperatures were recorded every 4 hours during the composting period. For summer trials, the composting temperatures remained above 130°F for 4 to 8 weeks. During winter trials, composting temperatures remained above 130 °F for less than 10 days. Egg counts of A. suum and O. spp. in compost declined during summer trials, while egg counts of both species remained nearly unchanged during winter trials. Changes in egg count of T. suis was not detected due to the low concentration of T. suis eggs in pig manure used in the study. These results indicate that the effectiveness of eliminating A. suum and O. spp. eggs depended on how long the required temperatures (>130°F) can be maintained during the composting process. To assess effects of temperatures on parasite egg survival, we conducted an in vitro study using A. suum and T. suis eggs extracted from pigs. A total of 25 Petri dishes per species were cultured in each of five constant temperatures: 39, 57, 72, 99, and 136°F for 24 days. Five dishes were removed from each temperature on days 1, 2, 7, 13, and 24, respectively. Results indicate that eggs of both species were slow to develop at 39 and 57°F. At 99°F, most A. suum eggs were between the 2-cell and morula stage by days 7 and 13, but none developed into a larva. In contrast, approximately 40% of T. suis eggs reached larvae stage at 99°F. At 136°F, all eggs reached morula stage by day 1, and none contained larva on any day during the test period. These results suggest that exposure to a constant temperature of 136°F can interfere with the development of A. suum and T. suis eggs into infective larvae. Accomplishment of Objective 3): Two field trials were conducted in two years to test four pasture crops: yellow mustard and rapeseed as treatment crops with biofumigation properties, and Alyce and Landino clover as control crops. All crop species were established and mechanically incorporated into the soil at the time of flowering to test for biofumigation effects. Soil samples were collected for analysis of parasite eggs before and weekly after crop incorporation for four weeks. Parasite eggs were not detectable either before or after crop incorporation in both trials due to low parasite egg recovery from pasture soil. Experiences gained while working on this objective were beneficial to the accomplishment of Objective 4. Accomplishment of Objective 4): Three animal trials were conducted over three years. In each trial, pigs (n = 26 pigs for Trial 1, n = 32 pigs for Trial 2; and n = 34 pigs for Trial 3) were divided into four treatment groups: grazing biofumigation pastures of rapeseed with mechanical incorporation of plant residues (R1), grazing biofumigation pastures of rapeseed without mechanical incorporation of plant residues (R2), grazing control pastures of Ladino clover with mechanical incorporation of plant residues (C1), and grazing control pastures of Ladino clover without mechanical incorporation of plant residues (C2). Four pastures were planted in each trial, two with rapeseed (R1 and R2) and two with Ladino clover (C1 and C2). Each pasture was split into four 30 ft x 35 ft paddocks, and pigs were given access to each for one week. Fecal samples were collected from all pigs before pigs grazed each pasture and again after two and four weeks. Soil samples were collected from each paddock before and weekly after grazingfor four weeks. Biomass yield of Ladino clover was higher (p < 0.01) than that of rapeseed and grazing by pigs reduced biomass in both pastures (p < 0.01). Fecal egg counts for the three parasite species did not differ among pigs that grazed on different pasture crops. After four weeks of grazing, all pigs had lower A. suum (p < 0.01) and T. suis (p < 0.01) egg counts regardless of pasture type. The number of A. suum and T. suis eggs in pasture soil samples were not affected by pasture type. Egg counts of both species were reduced (p < 0.01) threeweeks after grazing compared to pre-grazing, and the first two weeks after grazing in all pastures. These results suggest that the number of parasite eggs may decrease over time on pastures, and biofumigation may be not an effective way to control pig parasites on pastures.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Li, Y. Z., A. D. Hernandez, S. Major, and R. Carr. 2022. Occurrence of intestinal parasites and its impact on growth performance and carcass traits of pigs raised under near-organic conditions. Frontiers in Vet. Sci. 9: 911561. Doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.911561.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Hernandez, A. D., R. Carr, S. Dukes, S. Major, and Y. Z. Li. Intestinal roundworm infection in organic and alternative swine farms in the USA. Submitted to Veterinary Parasitology.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Carr, R. S. Major, A. D. Hernandez, and Li, Y. Z. Effectiveness of manure composting on eliminating swine parasites. In preparation.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Major, S., R. Carr, A. D. Hernandez, and Li, Y. Z. Biofumigation as an approach to swine parasite control in organic pastures. In preparation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Li, Y. Z., A. D. Hernandez, S. Major, and R. Carr. 2022. Intestinal parasite infection and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits of organic pigs. 18th International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals (Abstract). Madison, WI. June 15-17, 2022.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2022. Parasite infection in organic pigs. West Central Research and Outreach Center Newsletter. https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/research/swine/parasite-infection-organic-pigs.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2022. Intestinal parasite infection and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits of organic pigs. The 18th International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals. Madison, WI. June 15-18, 2022 (Poster).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Hernandez, A. D. 2022. Parasite infection patterns in organic pigs. Annual Conference of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). La Crosse, WI. Feb. 25, 2022. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Carr, R. 2022. Effectiveness of manure composting on eliminating swine parasites and its underlying mechanisms. Annual Conference of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). La Crosse, WI. Feb. 25, 2022. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Major, S. 2022. Biofumigation as an approach to swine parasite control in pastures. Annual Conference of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). La Crosse, WI. Feb. 25, 2022. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2022. Effects of parasite infection on growth performance, carcass traits and liver quality in organic pigs. Annual Conference of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). La Crosse, WI. Feb. 25, 2022. Oral Presentation.
|
Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during this reporting period included organic farmers and their stakeholders, individuals who are interested in organic agriculture, researchers, undergraduate andgraduate students, and agricultural professional. Results and progress of the project have been communicated with the audience through presentations at conferences, publications, and webinars. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities for the PDs and investigators to interact with organic farms, researchers and agricultural professionals through webinars and virtual workshops. Three undergraduate students, one visiting scholar, one research associate have been trained in organic swine research, on-farm data collection, and lab analysis for internal parasites of pigs. Additionally, Rodale Institute has a farmer training program where trainees engage in daily activities of our swine parasite project. These activities include animal husbandry, pasture and manure management, and data collection. All these opportunities directly benefit the professional development of PDs and investigators of this project and enhance training of students and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, some conferences and workshops/field days were held virtually during this reporting period. A virtual workshop was organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) at their annual conference and Diane DeWitte, a swine extension educator on this project, was invited to present results of parasite prevalence on organic pig farms. Audience of organic farmers, agricultural professionals, scientists and researchers across the country participated in the workshop. Additionally, a webinar was organized by Rodale Institute with Rick Carr and Sara Major as the presenters to deliver outcomes of this project to organic farmers and their stakeholders nationwide. Progress of the project was communicated with organic communities at Rodale Institute's Annual Field Day with over 400 organic farmers and their stakeholders in attendance. Furthermore, the project was highlighted at several events at Rodale Institute, including the Virtual Field Day video highlighting research and findings for Rodale Institute's online campus, the Media Influencer event, the Media Ambassador event, and three Rodale Institute Alumni events. Finally, the project was disseminated to broader audiences through publications in newspapers, newsletters, online publications, and social media. A complete list of publications and outreach events is presented in the Products and Other Products sections. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will finalize the statistical analysis of all data collected at the University of Minnesota (Objective 1) and write a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. A final winter composting trial to complete objective 2 will be conducted during the winter of 2021-22 and if time permits a third summer composting trial will be conducted during the summer of 2022. After completion of these trials, the data will be summarized into a peer-reviewed manuscript for publication. For Objective 3, we will continue our effort to improve parasite egg recovery rate in the greenhouse and in vitro experiments. We intend to finish these trials by the end of this year and then analyze the data for publication. A third run of 32 pigs onto biofumigation pastures will be completed in the fall of 2021 to complete objective 4. After completion of this trial, data collected will be analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of rapeseed as a biofumigant to destroy the eggs of three species of swine parasites. Additionally, the change in parasite load in the pastures where plant materials were mechanically incorporated into the soil will be compared to that of the pastures that were not mechanically incorporated to test the efficacy of using pigs' behaviors of rooting, trampling, and foraging as means of "biological incorporation" of plant materials into the soil. The data will be summarized into a peer-reviewed manuscript for publication.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: We investigated intestinal parasites in pigs that were raised under near-organic conditions. Fecal samples were collected from 293 pigs in bedded barns, including nursery pigs (n=29), growing pigs (n=91), finishing pigs (n=133), and gestating sows (n=40), for analysis of Ascaris suum (ASC), Trichuris suis (TRI), and Oesophagostomum spp. (OES) eggs. Prevalence (the number of pigs infected as a percent of total pigs sampled) and infection intensity (number of parasite eggs per gram (epg) sample) of each parasite species were evaluated. Preliminary results indicate that ASC was the dominant intestinal parasite in growing and finishing pigs. Seventy-six percent of the growing pigs and 92% of the finishing pigs shed ASC eggs in their feces. For pigs that shed ASC eggs, the average infection intensity in feces was 467 epg for the growing pigs and 2,106 epg for the finishing pigs. Ascaris suum eggs were not detected in the feces of the nursery pigs, and were only detected in the feces of three sows with the infection intensity between 20 and 80 epg. Among the finishing pigs sampled, 103 pigs were individually identified and recorded for growth performance. Correlations of ASC infection intensity with growth performance (initial body weight, average daily gain, and market weight) and carcass traits (hot carcass weight and backfat depth) were estimated. Ninety-three percent of barrows (n = 58) and 98% of gilts (n = 45) shed ASC eggs. The average ASC infection intensity was 2,208 epg for barrows and 2,104 epg for gilts. Neither the difference in ASC prevalence nor the difference in ASC infection intensity was significant (P > 0.10) between sexes. No correlations of ASC infection intensity with growth performance or carcass traits of pigs were detected (all P > 0.33 for Spearman correlation coefficients). These results indicate that ASC prevalence and infection intensity were not associated with sex or growth performance of finishing pigs. A subset of gilts (n = 32) was examined for liver milkspots and ASC worms in the small intestine when the pigs were harvested at market weight (120 kg). All these gilts had milkspots on their livers, and 78% of them had many (more than 10) milkspots on a liver. Among the 32 gilts, 25 (78%) were observed with ASC worms in their small intestines, and 96% of these pigs (24 out of 25) had many milky spots on their livers. These results are consistent with the prevalence and infection intensity of ASC eggs in feces of finishing pigs. Trichuris suis eggs were not detected in any fecal samples in this study. Oesophagostomum spp. eggs were not present in feces of the growing pigs, and were barely present in other fecal samples, with a total of seven pigs (one finishing pig, two nursery pigs, and four sows) being detected for OES. For the seven pigs that were infected with OES, the infection intensity of OES eggs was minimal andranged from 20 to 40 epg. Collectively, results of this study suggest that TRI and OES were not a concern for the herds studied. However, prevalence and infection intensity of ASC in growing and finishing pigs could be a threat to food safety of organic pig products. Thus, management strategies to control ASC infection in growing and finishing pigs are needed for organic pig production. Objective 2: During this reporting period, we completed a third compost trial to investigate efficacy of composting swine manure bedpack to destroy swine parasites during summer months. To date, two summer trials and one winter trial have been completed. We plan to complete another winter trial in 2021-22. The goal of these trials is to determine if composting is an effective manure management strategy to destroy swine parasite eggs across seasons. Based on the results from the first two trials, we predict that composting can destroy parasite eggs effectively during the summer because of the high compost temperatures that are achieved, but not during the winter because compost temperatures fluctuated too low during the trial, which was caused by low ambient air temperatures. In the third trial, as in the first two trials, temperature from ambient air and six different compost pile locations was recorded every four hours using Maxim Integrated Ibutton data loggers. Compost samples were collected each week from six different locations, processed in the lab and then analyzed for parasite eggs. The quantity of three different parasite egg species was recorded as in Objective 1. Data collected from the third trial is still being analyzed. Objective 3: Assessment of biofumigation as an approach to control swine parasites in pastures has been replicated in a controlled greenhouse environment. Three crops (yellow mustard, rapeseed, and Ladino clover as control) were planted in replicated pots in the greenhouse at Kutztown University's Biology Department. The goal of this trial was to mimic how pigs incorporate plant residue into soils and test whether development of parasite eggs was affected. Five replicate pots per treatment were seeded with approximately 2,000 Ascaris suum eggs, and the plant material was then crushed into the soil with a hand garden spade. On Day 10 after seeding with eggs and crushing plant materials, extraction of eggs from soils was done. Recovery of parasite eggs was initially very low (< 1%) and after several trials attempting to improve experimental design egg recovery has improved. In addition, plant metabolites were extracted from all three plant types into aqueous solutions so that replicate in vitro experiments could be run to better assess any effects of plant metabolites on parasite egg development. Experiments are being done in replicate cell culture plates at an optimal constant temperature (~25°C) for parasite egg development and run for 14 days with sampling on days 0, 1, 2, 7 and 14. Objective 4:During this reporting period, four pastures, two with rapeseed to assess its biofumigation properties and two with Ladino clover as a control, were planted for grazing by pigs. Thirty-two pigs (body weight = 211 ± 30 lb) that were organically managed were split into four groups of eight pigs each for grazing. Fecal samples were collected from all pigs immediately before pigs grazed each pasture and again after two and four weeks to monitor the level of parasite infection in the herd. Each pasture was split into four 30'x 35' paddocks, which pigs were given access to each paddock for one week. Soil and biomass samples were collected from each paddock prior to and after grazing. For biofumigation purpose, in one clover and one rapeseed pasture, the paddocks were mechanically mowed, spaded, and packed after the pigs' access to the paddock was closed off. The other two clover and rapeseed pastures that were grazed were not mechanically incorporated into the soil and left as is as a control for biological incorporation. After pigs were moved off each paddock, soil samples were collected weekly for four weeks to monitor the parasite load in the pasture. All fecal and soil samples were analyzed for quantity of three different parasite egg species as in Objectives 2 and 3.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
DeWitt, D. 2021 (Invited). Parasites in organic pigs: Lessons learned thus far. Annual Conference of Midwest Organic Service and Education (MOSES). Growing Stronger: Collaborative Conference on Organic & Sustainable Farming. Virtual Workshop. Feb. 23, 2021.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
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.
|
Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during this reporting period included organic farmers and their stakeholders, individuals who are interested in organic agriculture, researchers, undergraduate, graduate students, and agricultural professional. Preliminary results and progress of the project have been communicated with the audience through presentations, publications, and filed days. Changes/Problems:Personnel changes during the project period: Ms. Shelby Dukes (a senior/key investigator) left her position at the Rodale Institute in November 2019. Ms. Dukes was mainly responsible for animal husbandry and coordinating breeding and grazing efforts for Objective 4. A replacement (Ms. Sara Major) was hired immediately after the departure of Ms. Dukes. Ms. Major has participated in the project since she was an undergraduate student at the Kutztown University under Dr. Hernandez (Co-PI)'s supervision. Currently, Ms. Major is hired by the Rodale Institute as a fulltime employee and under the supervision of Mr. Rick Carr (Co-PI) to fill Ms. Dukes' role on this project. It is expected that the departure of Ms. Dukes will not affect the successful completion of the project. Accordingly, funds budgeted for Ms. Dukes are now allocated to Ms. Major. Mr. Rick Carr, Co-PD was promoted to Farm Director of Rodale Institute. His previous position was Compost Production Specialist. Mr. Carr will continue to fulfill his role as Co-PD as outlined in the proposal. Disturbance of COVID-19: A state-wide shutdown in Pennsylvania and field conditions prevented completion of the second trial for Objective 3. However, project leaders are exploring field and greenhouse alternatives to complete Objective 3. Request for one-year no-cost extension Due to the delay in transition of funds from USDA to the main award institution (University of Minnesota), and consequentially from the main award institution to the subaward institutions (Rodale Institute and Kutztown University), the project could not start until January of 2019 (about 4 months later than expected). As a result, all activities proposed for 2018 were pushed to the 2019. Because organic pig production is affected by seasons, we had to reschedule some activities for a year later than proposed originally in the grant. To complete the project as proposed, we would like to request for one-year extension without additional cost. The new expiration date of the grant will be August 31, 2022. 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 the PDs to attend national, regional and local conferences and meetings to communicate results of the project with researchers, agricultural professionals and organic farmers. The project also provided opportunities for the PDs and investigators to participate in field days, visit organic pig farms, and interact with organic farmers. One graduate student, five undergraduate students, one visiting scholar, one research associate, and several seasonal field and research interns have been trained in pastured pork production, on-farm data collection, and lab analysis for internal parasites of pigs. All these opportunities directly benefit the professional development of PDs and investigators of this project, and enhance training graduate students, undergraduate students, and organic farmers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results have been disseminated to organic farmers, researchers and agricultural professionals through presentations and publications. Results of parasite prevalence on organic pig farms were presented at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Conference (MOSES), Midwest Animal Science Annual Meeting, National Pork Board Education-In-Service Conference, Swine Seminar at the College of Veterinary Medicine Science, University of Minnesota, and the U.S. Composting Council conference. A webinar was organized by the Rodale Institute and all the PDs participated in presenting the project to organic farmers nationwide. Progress of the project was communicated with organic communities at Rodale Institute's Annual Field Day and the Pennsylvania Farm Show and with broader audience through publications in newspapers, newsletters, online publications, and social media. An abstract was published in a peer-reviewed journal. A complete list of publications and outreach events is presented in the Products section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will continue to collect fecal samples from pigs that are identified by age and sex at the University of Minnesota's research farm (Objective 1) to understand distribution of parasite load among individual pigs. Fecal samples will be analyzed to identify parasites species and to quantify density of each species. All data collected for Objective 1 will be statistically analyzed and prepared for publication. For Objective 2, we will repeat the compost procedure in the fall and spring to investigate efficacy of composting to destroy swine parasites during the two seasons and to obtain enough data for statistical analyses. Pile temperature will be monitored. Compost will be sampled for analyses of parasite species and load. Laboratory assays on the effect of temperature on parasite egg viability will be conducted. All data will be analyzed statistically and summarized for publication. For Objective 3, we will repeat the plot trial one more time using proper equipment identified in trial 2 to confirm what we found in the first trial. We will also investigate biofumigating swine parasites under greenhouse conditions. Data from the two trials will be analyzed and prepared for publication. For Objective 4, four pastures (two pastures with rapeseed as treatment of biofumigation, and two pastures with Ladino clover as control) will be prepared for grazing by pigs. The second group of pigs (approximately 32) will be farrowed and raised organically. The pigs will be tested for grazing on biofumigated pastures versus control pastures. Fecal, bedding and soil samples will be collected and analyzed for parasite species and load before and after grazing as described in the proposal. All activities mentioned above will be communicated with organic farmers, and other interested audience through field days (depending on the COVID status), seminars, conferences, newsletters, social media, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. One paper will be published in a peer-reviewed journal using the data collected from Objective 1. Two abstracts will be published in the Journal of American Society of Parasitologists, and the Journal of Animal Science as conference proceedings. A presentation with an abstract will be offered at the 2021 MOSES. Progress of the project will be updated in newsletters of the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center, and on Rodale Institute's website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: One hundred and twenty fecal samples and 24 bedding samples were collected from two groups of growing-finishing pigs (n = 200) raised under near-organic conditions at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center. Under the near-organic conditions, pigs were housed in bedded group pens and fed organic diets from birth, but had no access to outdoors. Lab analysis to identify parasite species and quantify parasite load (number of eggs per gram (epg) sample) from feces and bedding were conducted at Kutztown University. The preliminary results indicate that Ascaris spp. was the primary parasite in growing-finishing pigs. The load of Ascaris spp. in finishing pigs (~220 lb) was higher than in growing pigs (~110 lb). The load of Trichuris spp. or Oesophagostomum was minimal or undetectable, which may be related to the fact that Oesophagostomum is more common in breeding sows who were dewormed by the 3rd trimester of gestation. Similar patterns were observed in pen bedding, although recovery of parasite eggs from these sample were, as expected, much lower. Preliminary results indicate a large variation in parasite loads among individual pigs within the same pen. Objective 2: To achieve Objective 2, three separate attempts, two over the winter and one during the summer, were made to compost swine bedpack manure from Rodale Institute's swine hoop barn. Manure was removed from the barn and placed in windrows for composting. Pre-composted manure samples were collected and analyzed for parasite species and load. Windrows were turned using a Sittler compost turner according to the National Organic Program and then managed to optimize decomposition based on moisture and temperature. Temperature was recorded every 4 hours using I-Button data loggers for 4 weeks. Manure was sampled weekly for 4 weeks and analyzed for parasite species and load. Preliminary results indicate large seasonal variation in maximum composting temperatures. Composting during the winter in Pennsylvania does not generate temperatures sufficient enough to destroy parasites, but composting during the summer is effective at parasite destruction. Objective 3: To achieve Objective 3, a second trial to assess biofumigation as an approach to swine parasite control in pastures has been conducted. Three crops (yellow mustard, rapeseed, and Ladino clover as control) were planted in the field in March of 2020 and the plots were pseudo-replicated. The goal of this trial was to examine different equipment (spader versus rototiller) to incorporate plant residue. Objective 4: The first trial of Objective 4 was completed in August 2020. Four groups of pigs (n=26) were grazed on either Ladino clover or rapeseed pastures, two pastures of each type, four pastures in total. The pigs were allowed to graze each paddock for one week and then moved to a new paddock. Soil and plant biomass samples were collected before and after grazing to evaluate parasite contamination and biomass production/consumption, respectively. After four weeks of grazing, all pigs were removed from test pastures and then one of each pasture type was flail mowed, spaded and packed for mechanical incorporation of plant residues to accomplish biofumigation. The other two pastures were not disturbed. Soil samples were collected the day after biofumigation and then once weekly for four weeks from all paddocks. Soil samples were analyzed for parasite species (Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., and Oesophagostomum) and load. Plant biomass samples were analyzed for moisture content. Growth performance of pigs was monitored. Pigs in each group were weighed individually before entering each new paddock.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. Parasite prevalence on organic pig farms (Invited). 2019. Extension-in-Service Annual Meeting. National Pork Board. Oct. 23-24, 2019. Sacramento, CA. Available at: https://library.pork.org/web/212a26176db19407/2019-swine-education-in-service/
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Li, Y. Z. 2019. Parasite prevalence on organic pig farms. Swine Seminar UMN. 385J AnimSci/Vet Med. University of Minnesota. Oct 4, 2019. St Paul, MN.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R., Y. Z. Li and A. Hernandez. 2019. Hog management in a pastured system. Rodale Institute webinar. October 9, 2019.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
DeWitte, D. 2019. U of M currently conducting organic swine research. The land. Nov. 2019. Available at: https://www.thelandonline.com/news/u-of-m-currently-conducting-organic-swine-research/article.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Carr, R., Y. Z. Li, A. Hernandez, S. Major, and D. DeWitt. 2020. Manure and pasture management strategies to reduce swine parasites in pastured pork production. MOSES Conference. Feb. 28-29, 2020. La Crosse, WI. Poster presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Carr, R. 2020. On-farm Composting: Separating the feel good from the real good . MOSES Conference. Feb. 28-29, 2020. La Crosse, WI. Oral presentation.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
DeWitte, D., Y. Z. Li, R. Carr, A. Hernandez, and S. Major. 2020. UM organic swine research underway. Steven County Times. 2020 Farm Progress (B9). March 24, 2020.
- 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:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Holland, C., S. Major, J. Lucabeche, M. ONeill, Y. Z. Li, R. Carr, A. D. Hernandez. 2019. Evaluating the incidence of gastrointestinal parasites in organic pig farms from Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 2019 PASSHE STEM Conference, Kutztown University. 2nd Nov. 2019. Kutztown, PA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Carr, R., and S. Major. 2020. Organic pastured pork production. Model presented at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, March 13, 2020. Harrisburg, PA. Over 47,000 people engaged.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Carr, R. 2020. Composting to destroy swine parasites. US Composting Council Conference. Jan 28-31, 2020. North Charleston, SC. Oral presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Li, Y. Z., A. Hernandez, R. Carr, S. Major, and D. DeWitte. 2020. Parasite prevalence and fecal egg counts on organic pig farms. American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section/ADSA Midwest Branch 2020 Joint Meeting. March 2-4, 2020. Omaha, Nebraska. Poster (PSVIII-21).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Major, S. and R. Carr. 2020. Swine facility tour for Media Influencer Event. Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Hernandez, A., R. Carr., S. Major, and Li, Y. Z. Prevalence of Swine Parasites in Organic Pork Production. Peer-reviewed publication [in preparation].
|
Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is existing, transitioningand potential organic farmers, their stakeholders, researchers, andagricultural professionals. Preliminary results of the project have been delivered to the audience through field daysandpresentations at organic conferences. General information about the project has been published in websites, social media, newspapers, and newsletters. Changes/Problems:Personnel changes during the project period. 1. Mr. Ross Duffield, a senior/key investigator of the project from Rodale Institute left his positionin 2019. Mr. Duffield was responsible for pasture management. His role has been successfully filled by Ms. Shelby Dukes (a senior/key investigator) and Mr. Rick Carr (Co-PI). It is expected that the departure of Mr. Duffield will not affect the successful completion of the project. Accordingly, funds budgeted for Mr. Duffield will be reallocated to Ms. Dukes (40% of FTE) and Mr. Carr (35% of FTE). 2. Diane DeWitte, a Swine Extension Educator from the University of Minnesota joined the project in 2019. Ms. DeWitte will be responsible for writing extension articles generated from the project, organizing field days and other extension activities, and assisting in data collection at the University of Minnesota and other organic pig farms. There will be no additional funds required for the addition of Ms. DeWitte to the project. Request for one year no-cost extension. Due to the delay in transition of funds from USDA to the main award institution (University of Minnesota), and consequentially from the main award institution to the subaward institutions (Rodale Institute and Kutztown University), the project could not start until January of 2019 (about 4 months later than expected). As a result, all activities proposed for 2018 have to be pushed to 2019. Because organic pig production is affected by seasons, we have to reschedule some activities for a year later than proposed originally in the grant. To complete the project as proposed, we would like to request for one-year extension without additional cost,with anew expiration date ofthe grant being August 31, 2022. 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?This project provided training opportunites for gradaute students, undergraduate students, organic pig farmers and investigators of the project. Five undergraduate students from Kutztown University have been heavily involved in the project, including onestudent (Schallmo, Emily) that achieved the award of Honors Independent Research in Biology, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Research Title:Effectiveness of composting for parasite management in organic pork production), a student (Holland, Christine) conducted an Independent Research in Biology II (Research Title:Assessing nematode parasite prevalence in organic pig farm enclosures), and three students weretrained in parasite laboratory analyses. A graduate student and an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota weretrained and participated in on-farm sample collection. Organicfarmers wereeducated for raisingorganic pigs on pastures at seminars and conferences given through this project. Participating organic pig farmers learned how to collect fecal samples from pigs for parasite analysis. Theproject also provided opportunities for investigators tovisitorganic pig farms to learn about organic pig production, andattendconferences to discuss results of theproject with targetaudiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?At this point, only preliminary results are available which are not ready for publicationin peer-reviewed journals. However, information about project concepts, goals and methods havebeen widely communicated with organic farmers, researchers and agricultural professionals through presentations at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Conference (MOSES), Midwest Organic Pig Conference, U.S. Composting Council Conference (USCC), Rodale Institute's Annual Field Day, and publications in newsletter and social media (see Products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will collect fecal samples from pigs that are identified by age and sex at the University of Minnesota's research farm (Objective 1) to understand distribution of parasite load among individual pigs. Fecal samples will be analyzed to identify parasitespecies and to quantify density of each species. We will continue to analyze bedding and soil samples collected from organic pig farms for parasite species and load. All data collected for Objective 1 will be statistically analyzed and prepared for publication. For Objective 2, we will repeat the compost procedure in the fall and spring to obtain enough replicates for statistical analysis. Data of pile temperature, humidity, parasite species and load will be collected and analyzed as described in the proposal. Data will be summarized for publication. For Objective 3, we will repeat the plot trial one more time (the second trial) to confirm what we found in the first trial. Data from two trials will be analyzed and prepared for publication. For Objective 4, four pastures (two pastures with rapeseed as treatment of biofumigation, and two pastures with Ladino clover as control) will be prepared for grazing by pigs. The first group of pigs (approximately 32) will be farrowed and raised organically. The pigs will be tested for grazing on biofumigated pastures versus control pastures. Fecal, bedding and soil samples will be collected and analyzed for parasite species and load as described in the proposal. All activities mentioned above will be communicated with organic farmers, and other interested audience through field days, seminars, conferences, newsletters, social media, and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Two abstracts will be published in the Journal of American Society of Parasitologists, and the Journal of Animal Science as conference proceedings. A presentation with an abstract will be offered at the 2020 MOSES and USCC Conference, respectively. Progress of the project will be updated in newsletters of the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center, and on Rodale Institute's website.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Managing swine intestinal parasites continues to be an obstacle for organic pig farmers because there is a lack of organically-approved options for controlling parasites. The purpose of this project is to explore manure and pasture management strategies that would control swine parasitecontamination and transmission in organic pig production. To achieve Objective 1, fecal, bedding, and soil samples from pastures (when available) have been collected from five organic pig farms and the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Centeras proposed in the grant. Lab analyses to identify parasite species and quantify parasite loads (number of eggs per gram sample [e.p.g]) from feces, bedding, and soil have been conducted at Kutztown University. The preliminary results from 150 fecal samples indicate that parasites are present on all organic pig farms sampled. The load of Ascaris spp. was higher than the load of Trichuris spp. On most farms Oesophagostomum was minimal or undetectable, which may be related to the fact that Oesophagostomum is more common in breeding sows which could be dewormed by the 3rd trimester of gestation. Similar patterns were measured in pen bedding and pasture soil samples as in fecal samples, although recovery of parasite eggs from these types of sample were, as expected, much lower. Preliminary results also indicate a large variation in parasite loads among individual pigs on the same farm and among the participating farms. To achieve Objective 2, two separate trials,one in January and the other in June, were conducted to compost swine bedpack manure from Rodale Institute's swine hoop barn. Pre-composted manure samples were collected and analyzed for parasite species and load.Manure was removed from the barn and placed in windrows for composting. Windrows were turned using a Sittler compost turner according to the National Organic Program and then managed to optimize decomposition based on moisture and temperature. Temperature was recorded every 4 hours using I-Button data loggers. Manure was sampled weekly for 4 weeks and analyzed for parasite species and load. Preliminary results indicate great seasonal variation in maximum composting temperatures. Additionally, results indicate composting during the winter does not generate temperatures sufficient enough to destroy parasites but is effective at parasite destruction during the summer. To achieve Objective 3, the first field trial to assess biofumigation as an approach to swine parasite control in pastures has been conducted. Four crops (yellow mustard, rapeseed, Alyce clover, and Ladino clover as control) were planted in the field in March of 2019. One crop (yellow mustard) was ready for biofumigation in May. Replicated plots were artificially inoculated with swine feces with known e.p.g. counts for each of the 3 nematode parasite species. Thereafter, each replicate plot was flail mowed and the remaining plant residues incorporated into the soil using a moldboard plow, disc and culti-packed. Soil samples were collected weekly for parasite analysis.Preliminary results from yellow mustard illustrate variable levels of parasite egg recovery over time for each of the 3 parasite species. Replicated plots for the remaining crop species will be similarly inoculated and biofumigated in August. To achieve Objective 4, field and breeding preparations are underway as described in the proposal. No other activities have been accomplished at this time.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Y. Li, R. Carr, and A. Hernandex. 2019. Research on Parasite Control in Organic Swine Production. Available at: https://wcroc.cfans.umn.edu/wcroc-news/parasite-control
1West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC), University of Minnesota, Morris, MN; 2Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA; 3Kutztwon University, Kutztown, PA.
June 2019Y.Z. Li,
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. 2019. Composting Part 2: Separating the Feel Good from the Real Good. Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Lancaster, PA. Feb. 7.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. 2019. Organics recycling and on-farm composting. Field and equipment presentation to delegation from Argentina, Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA. June 10.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. 2019. Composting and Solid Waste Management. Delaware Valley University Farmer Training Program, Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA. July 16.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. 2019. On-farm Composting. Northeast Organic Farming Association Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY. January 18.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dukes, S. 2019. Pastured pork production. Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service Conference. La Crosse, WI. February 22.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dukes, S. 2019. Pastured pork production. Midwest Organic Pig Conference, Waterloo, IA. March 8.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. and Dukes, S. 2019. 103rd Pennsylvania Farm Show, Harrisburg, PA. January 5-12.
- 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. Gusch, R. Carr, and A. Hernandez. 2019. Organic Swine Research at the University of Minnesota. Annual Showcase of Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN. April 3.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R. and S. Dukes. 2019. Tours of swine facility/pasture and compost site, and poster presentations on organic pig management and manure composting. Rodale Institute Field Day, Kutztown, PA. July 19.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Rodale Institute. Researchers to Investigate how to Control Parasites in Organic Pork Production. Rodale Institute Website. Available at: https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/rodale-institute-partners-with-universities-to-control-parasites-in-organic-swine/.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Researchers to Study Controls for Swine Parasites in Organic Pork Production. Lancaster Farming, December 28, 2018: A17 and A20. Available at: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming/organic/researchers-to-study-controls-for-swine-parasites-in-organic-pork/article_dc746058-8a9a-549e-89f2-40cbb8580c21.html
Available at: https://www.feedstuffs.com/nutrition-health/project-investigate-parasite-control-organic-pork
Available at: http://smartsolution247.com/project-to-investigate-parasite-control-in-organic-pork/
Available at: https://americanagnetwork.com/2018/12/researchers-to-study-controls-for-swine-parasites-in-organic-pork-production/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Carr, R., 2019. Kutztown, Pennsylvania: Composting to Manage Swine Parasites. BioCycle: Composting Roundup. May/June, 60:4, 11.
|
|