Project Number: 3625-31000-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Aug 03, 2005
End Date: Aug 02, 2010

Objective:
The overall goal of this research is to develop practical pig production technologies resulting in increased nutrient utilization and gastrointestinal and manure microbial ecology modification leading to a reduction of the impact of swine production on the environment. 1) Manipulate dietary ingredients to improve nutrient utilization and reduce nutrient excretion and the production of volatile organic compounds. 2) Identify microbial populations and modify in situ microflora in the pig gastrointestinal tract to reduce the formation of volatile organic compounds. 3) Quantify the impact of dietary regimen on nutrient metabolism of the gastrointestinal tract and the whole animal. 4) Characterize and quantify the production of impact odorants in vapor phase and on particulates from production facilities, and determine how the manure matrix influences emissions of odorants in the solution phase.

Approach:
First, dietary ingredients (corn, soybean meal, distiller dried grains, soybean meal, beet pulp, crystalline amino acids, etc.) will be manipulated to improve nutrient utilization in the animal; and reduce nutrient excretion and the emission of volatile organic compounds into the environment; second, gastrointestinal microbial populations will be identified and subsequently modified to reduce the formation of volatile organic compounds; third, the impact of dietary regimen on nutrient metabolism of the gastrointestinal tract and the whole animal will be quantified; and fourth, the production of impact odorants in vapor phase and on particulates from production facilities will be characterized and quantified, and determine how the manure matrix influences emissions of odorants in the solution phase. Additional studies will be conducted for the enhancement of energetic efficiency as a means of improving nutrient utilization in swine production systems in Objectives 1 and 3 of the current project.