Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Pork producers select pigs for slaughter based on measurement of live pig conformation and weight, which are labour intensive and stressful for the pigs. However, most hog markets are based on pork carcass merit, which is determined post-mortem by the percentage of carcass fat-free-lean muscle (FFLM). As a result, large numbers of pigs do not meet target specification set by the packaging plant leading to frequent penalization for animals that are too lean or over-fat. FFLM is determined using various invasive and destructive techniques on carcasses (i.e. ribbing or penetrating an optical probe) and cannot be used on farms to select market animals.
New non-invasive and non-destructive technologies like multispectral image analysis can enable producers to keep track of growth performance and degree of muscling/leanness for individual pigs at each phase of production (growing, finishing), which could help in making real-time management adjustments (e.g., diet); otherwise, such adjustments are not possible.
This proposed technology uses a camera system that may allow the prediction of carcass traits and fat-free lean in pigs, based on the captured image of the live animals to estimate live weight and body composition (e.g., area of hams and loins).
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
This technology would increase swine producer profitability and improve the sustainability of swine production by reducing waste through optimizing time to market.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Results will be shared with the swine industry through podcasts, infographics, and factsheets which will be posted on the Manitoba Agriculture and Food Knowledge Exchange, Alberta Pork, and Manitoba Pork.
Extension articles and lectures will be published and delivered in swine industry magazines (Western Hog Journal) and at swine national and regional conferences (Alberta/Manitoba Pork Annual Meeting).
Results will also be presented at national and regional conferences, such as the Banff Pork Seminar and the Canadian Meat Council/Canadian Meat Science Association Symposium.
Findings will be shared with the scientific community through conferences like the International Conferences of Meat Science and Technology, Canadian Society of Animal Science Annual Conference, Reciprocal Meat Conference, and publications in scientific journals like Meat Science, Canadian Journal of Animal Science, and Journal of Animal Science.