ARS | Publication request: Diet modification as a mitigation tool for swine production

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings/Symposium
Publication Acceptance Date: August 31, 2008
Publication Date: September 4, 2008
Citation: Powers, W.J., Zamzow, S.B., Kerr, B.J. 2008. Diet modification as a mitigation tool for swine production. Proceedings of Eighth International Livestock Symposium (ILES VII), August 31 - September 4, 2008, Iguassu Falls, Brazil. 2008 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate air emission reductions from swine following implementation of diet strategies. In each study, the impact of these feeding strategies on pig performance and air emissions were compared to those of animals fed commercial diets. Groups of pigs were housed in environmental rooms (experimental unit; 6 pigs per room) from 24 kg to 120 kg body weight. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations in exhaust air and airflow were continuously measured in each experiment. Overall, diet had no effect on pig performance in any experiment (P > 0.05). As a result of feeding reduced-protein diets with increasing amounts of synthetic amino acids (AA), however, ammonia concentrations were reduced 24% (2.93 ppm) and 36% in 5 AA and 3 AA diets, respectively, compared to the control diet containing only 1 AA. Ammonia emissions for the 5 AA, 3 AA, and 1 AA diets, corresponded to a daily mass of ammonia emitted of 88.0, 68.9, and 46.0 mg kg-1 BW, respectively. No diet effects were observed for hydrogen sulfide. When corn co-products were fed (distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS)), corn germ meal (CGM), and dehulled, degermed corn (DDC) and compared to emissions resulting from a corn diet, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions were increased as a result of DDGS inclusion in the diet. The DDGS treatment produced less methane than the other treatments. Corn diets were intermediate in methane production and the CGM and DDC diets resulted in the greatest methane production. Our results demonstrate that diet modification is a powerful mitigation strategy.