The Alltech U.S. Pork Team has introduced Levelset, an innovative solution designed to reinforce gut health in pigs. (Image source: Alltech)

Levelset, an innovative solution manufactured by Ridley Feed Ingredients was designed to reinforce pig gut health and has recently been introduced by the Alltech US Pork Team at the World Pork Expo, which took place from 5-6 June at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa 

Levelset’s blend of key technologies synergistically supports natural resistance against diarrhea challenges while enhancing overall enteric health. The product is designed for maximum impact during three different life stages of production namely, pre-farrow sows, suckling pigs and weaned pigs, thus making it an exceptional tool in any production strategy.

“Across the industry, pathogen resistance is an ever-growing challenge, and solutions to reduce reliance on conventional antibiotics are of critical importance,” said Andy Rash, general manager of Alltech’s US swine business. “Levelset is an innovative blend of carefully developed technologies that minimises undesirable organisms within the gut, thus promoting the overall health and productivity of pigs.”

Cattle consume feed supplemented with CH4 Global’s Methane Tamer, Beef Feedlot version. (Image source: CH4 Global)

CH4 Global's methane-reducing feed additive, Methane Tamer has been fed to first group of cattle, the company along with CirPro Australia announced today

At a feedlot in South Australia, 70 cattle were fed Methane Tamer for 100 days, whereby an estimated 105 metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions were avoided. This is equal to the amount of carbon sequestered by more than 1,700 tree saplings for 10 years.     

Moreover, the cattle that were fed Methane Tamer showed same levels of weight gain as the control group, although they consumed less feed per day. This indicated a significant improvement in feed conversion efficiency. 

Methane Tamer works by harnessing the power of Asparagopsis seaweed that feed studies have shown up to 90% reduction in enteric methane emissions. CH4 Global has fine-tuned Methane Tamer Beef Feedlot so that farmers and feedlots can seamlessly integrate it into their operations, and guarantee a minimum of 70% methane reductions.

"Together with our partners, we are significantly increasing the number of cattle consuming Methane Tamer while also establishing the ability to export this reduced-methane beef to meet growing global demand," said CH4 Global CEO, Steve Meller.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab team members currently or formerly associated with Iowa State's Department of Animal Science. (Image source: Iowa State University)

As part of an international effort to improve the health of small poultry flocks of indigenous chickens, researchers from the Iowa State University have been working on a 10-year project by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry, that is aimed at addressing the threats that disease and infections pose to the region’s poultry sector 

One of the most devastating poultry diseases includes the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV). According to Susan Lamont, distinguished professor in the Department of Animal Science and one of the leads on the research team, this disease does not appear to be a major threat to the chickens of the region, mainly due to the availability of a vaccine. However, vaccination programmes are not practical to implement in much of Africa due to the likeliness of small numbers of chickens being scattered, thereby resulting in their intermingling with other chickens and fowl. 

As stated in a report by the Iowa State University, in order to ensure that the project has the best chance of bringing meaningful impacts to local smallholder farmers, several unique approaches were adopted. These included a series of initial focus groups to gain a sense of what was important to smallholders of poultry and what interventions they would be most likely to find usable. Moreover, to keep things more relatable to real life, the scientists studied birds exposed to disease in natural situations, rather than in more controlled experimental environments. 

A recent paper by the team which forms the Feed the Future Innovation Lab, was published in the World’s Poultry Science journal. The study carried out focuses primarily on genetic and molecular studies of the chickens and their response to NDV and extreme heat, from the cellular level to bodily systems. 

From their findings, the researchers found that a regional breed, indigenous to the Fayoum region of Egypt, are relatively more resistant to infection from many pathogens and to heat compared to a commercial Leghorn line derived from chickens in the US. They also identified several genes as important candidates for their influence on NDV viral replication. 

In addition, researchers were also able to learn a lot about the genetics of the Newcastle disease virus and the strains prevalent in the different poultry-producing regions studied. This information will surely be useful for the development of more effective methods to fight the disease in the future. 

“This work is especially important to the lives of women,” Lamont noted. “In Africa, poultry is generally managed by women, which gives them more access to good nutrition for their families and economic opportunities when they can sell eggs and meat birds.” 

Nemasphere is currently pending regulatory approval and is anticipated to be available in 2028. (Image source: BASF)

BASF Agricultural Solutions introduces Nemasphere, a groundbreaking innovation in soybean cyst nematode (SCN) management 

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the number one yield-robbing pest in soybeans in the US, costing growers an estimated US$1.5bn in yield annually. Moreover, the effectiveness of native SCN traits is declining significantly. 

After decades of longing for a solution to protect their fields from SCN, farmers have finally received Nemasphere, a tool to go on offense against this invisible threat. 

Nemasphere, which will be stacked with the Enlist E3 technology, will produce a novel Cry14 protein that is ingested by nematodes. This protein will interfere with nutrient uptake in their intestines, thus leading to the nematodes’ death. 

Nemasphere will be available in a full range of the top-performing and best-yielding soybean seed varieties, allowing farmers unmatched SCN resistance without compromising yield potential. Research trials have shown that Nemasphere on average, boosts yield potential by 8%. 

With increasing SCN resistance to native traits, the yield gap tends to widen every year. In such cases, the boost Nemasphere delivers in bushels will be critical to help growers hit their full harvest potential and make it possible to achieve full genetic yield potential. 

Nemasphere is currently pending regulatory approval and is anticipated to be available in 2028. 

For more information, visit: www.agriculture.basf.com