APSA Biennial Conference, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 22nd to 25th November, 2009 APSA’s biennial conference highlighted some of the excellent science being conducted in Australia, as well as research from around the globe. The conference was attended by some 240 delegates, with a significant proportion (30%) of these from Asia, NZ, America and Europe. A summary of the reviews and symposia from Manipulating Pig Production XII are presented below. The A.C. Dunkin Memorial Lecture Presenter: Mr Paul Pattison, Dr Brian Luxford & Dr Robert van Barneveld The A.C. Dunkin Memorial Lecture traditionally opens the APSA conference. The Lecture is delivered to inspire, encourage thought, and to give members of the pig science community the opportunity to think about their contribution to pork production and the overall contribution of pork production to the global community. In 2009, the format of the A.C. Dunkin Memorial Lecture was changed with inputs from three keynote speakers, all of whom are well-established members of the Australian pork industry. Mr Paul Pattison, General Manager of Rivalea Australia Pty Ltd, provided his view of the new directions the Australian industry may have to follow focussing on food safety, ethical production and value. Dr Brian Luxford, Technical Services Manager with Rivalea Australia Pty Ltd, outlined parameters that the Australian pig industry may have to adopt as the industry approaches 2025. Dr Luxford discussed potential revisions to genetic programs and breeding objectives, production with reduced reliance on antibiotics, the role for biotechnology in a future pig industry, and the need for integration of research resources. The Lecture was concluded by Dr Robert van Barneveld, a Consultant Research Scientist to the Australian pork industry specialising in nutrition. Dr van Barneveld discussed the global needs to supply food for human consumption, how pork may contribute to meeting this need in Australia and overseas, and what we may be using for nutrients to feed pigs in 15 years time. Take home message: In the years to come, pork production systems are very likely to change as a consequence of consumer demand. Whilst these production systems will have to meet the increasing needs of the consumer, there is an expectation that pork will need to be competitively priced in the market place. In global terms, chicken and pork consumption is likely to increase significantly, and new solutions will be needed to produce this pork given the limitations in a number of inputs such as grain, water and land. Review: PCV2, PMWS, vaccines and the immune system… what’s going on? Presenter: Professor Joaquim Segales (University Autònomo de Barcelona, Spain) The immune system of the pig plays a key role in controlling infection by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), keeping it as subclinical in most cases. However, a variable proportion of pigs in a farm may develop postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), a multifactorial acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Regrettably, the knowledge on the precise immunological mechanisms by which a pig gets a subclinical infection or develops PMWS is still poorly known. Curiously, PCV2 vaccines seem to be extremely efficacious in controlling the disease. The objective of this presentation was to summarise the current knowledge on PCV2 immunology and the immunological basis of PCV2 vaccination. Take home message: Overseas studies are still no closer to explaining why only a certain proportion of pigs with PCV2 will develop PMWS. The cause or causative agents responsible are still unknown. The PCV2 vaccine used overseas has been a huge success but once again, little is known of the mechanisms at play in delivering this vaccine induced protection. Review: Nutrigenomics in animal production Presenter: Dr Greg Harper (CSIRO Livestock Industries, QLD) This presentation outlined the role of nutrigenomics in animal production. Nutrigenomics encompasses aspects of nutrigenetics (the effects of an individual’s genotype on the response to nutrition), nutritional epigenetics (the effects of phenomena that change genome function without changing nucleotide sequence, in relation to response to nutrition, and vice versa) and nutritional transcriptomics (the effects of nutrients on the expression of genes and regulatory elements, and vice versa). For many, nutritigenomics is closely associated with ‘personalised nutrition’, an emerging concept in which the diet of an individual is customized to their genome, to optimise health and prevent the onset of disease. Alternatively, a broader application is to use high throughput genomics and functional genomic technologies to study nutritional and metabolic diseases and apply this knowledge to animal and food production with involvement of the full value chain from farm to consumer to health professional. Nutrigenomics for production animals is likely to deliver fundamental and novel information about the response of animals with particular genotypes to the nutrients in their diet. While the demand for population and personalised nutrigenomics nutrition is unlikely to match that being seen in the human health and functional food arena, dietary formulations that are specific for elite classes of animals, and optimised for critical developmental phases in these animals, are very likely outcomes of current research. The future will be shaped by a number of factors including climate change, environmental concerns and the desire of people in the developing world to move along the food chain, and nutrigenomics will play a critical role in achieving these outcomes. Take home message: Future pig production systems will need to be more efficient given the potential limitations of some key inputs like feed grain. Traditional production systems will need to be more focused on the interaction between animal genetics and nutrition leading to a more personalised nutritional program for individual pigs rather than groups. This scenario is still a long way off but the pig industry will need to invest in these technologies to be in a position to meet production challenges of the future. Review: Extrinsic factors affecting consumer purchasing decisions for meat Presenter: Dr Jon Ratcliff (F.A.C.S., UK) There is increasing interest among both consumers and policy makers towards food safety, food quality, food related health issues and food production methods and their associated affects on the environment. Key drivers for this increasing interest are consumers’ income growth, urbanisation, intensification of food production methods and on-going highly publicised food scares, including BSE, dioxin and melamine. These drivers are also responsible for the growth in extrinsic cues aimed at the consumer’s decision making process for meat and which include branding, label information, origin, quality marks and other information about the products value to the consumer. This review assessed the various extrinsic cues and their increasing role in the quality perception of meat in comparison to the more traditional intrinsic quality cues. Take home message: Whilst price is still the major factor affecting consumer meat purchasing decision processes, there is a shift in consumers also seeking ‘compliance’ with other extrinsic factors such as food safety, animal welfare and environmental issues. The UK pork industry is one example where stall free production systems are starting to claw back some of the pork sales lost to cheaper imports from Denmark. This was largely achieved by brand recognition by the consumer, with brands playing a key role in highlighting the various extrinsic factors on pork products. Symposium: Exploiting Genetic Gains in Litter Size Presenters: Dr Kim Bunter (AGBU, Armidale), Dr Bruce Mullan, (DAFWA, Perth), Dr Flemming Thorup (Danish Pig Production, Denmark) Over the last decade significant genetic gains have been achieved in the number of pigs born alive in Australia and around the world. One example of this phenomenon has been the Danish pig industry. Dr Fleming Thorup presented examples of how Denmark has altered its management practices to maximize both piglet survival and piglet quality with increased litter sizes. The genetic changes in litter size have also resulted in changes in other traits. Dr Kim Bunter examined these changes and also discussed potential genetic solutions to improve preweaning survival and piglet quality. Finally Dr Bruce Mullan outlined changes in sow and piglet nutrition during gestation and lactation that are needed to cope with larger numbers born alive in both gilts and sows. Take home message: Genetic selection for increased litter size comes at a cost with negative impact on lean growth potential. Selection for numbers born alive is a more favourable trait than total piglets born. Feeding the sow is one area that can overcome these negative impacts on the piglets but this is easier said than done. The Danish experience tells us that new management strategies for the sow and the piglet are needed to effectively deal with the issues posed with increasing litter size. Symposium: Strategies for successful commercialisation of pig research Presenters: Dr Dean Boyd (Hanor Company, USA), Dr David Hennessy (Pfizer, Melbourne), Dr Rob Wilson (Rob Wilson Consulting, Perth) Commercialisation of research involves the transfer or translation of knowledge from the research sector to the market place. Pure research provides scientists with many insights into a problem but for that research to have a beneficial and economic return to all stakeholders and to drive future research in the same or related fields, the research has to be commercialised. This symposium pulled together the internationally recognised expertise of Dr Dean Boyd, Dr David Hennessy and Dr Rob Wilson as they described and discussed what should and should not happen to achieve successful commercialisation of pig research. Using specific case studies of products and commercial pig operations in Australia, North America and other markets the presenters detailed the differing strategies that are needed to bring a product to market and how external forces can shape these strategies. The symposium provided essential insights for all researchers, product suppliers and pork producers. Take home message: As a model, the CRCs have effectively managed technology transfer and research commercialisation either by using separate legal entities or by managing this process in-house with the end result being actual and potential economic benefit. However, ultimately the adoption of the technologies by industry is the true measure of commercialisation. The process to adopt new technologies requires a technology screening, testing, implementation and review process. In the case of a company like Hanor, all products as a general rule must deliver a 3:1 return on investment to account for the variation in production responses to the various technologies. In the case of Improvac, the path to commercialisation has been difficult and that has taken almost 20 years. Good luck, perseverance, and a lot of financial backing will finally see this product as a technology adopted by just about every major pig production country. Summary courtesy of Dr Darryl D’Souza, Australian Pork Limited