The role of enrichment in optimizing pig behaviour and welfare

Modern pig housing environments provide animals with essential resources, but from an animal’s point of view, they are quite barren and deprive them of the opportunity to make full use of their natural behavioural repertoire and actively work for these resources. The lack of stimulation resulting...

Advances in understanding gut function and immunity in pigs

The gut tissues are important for feed intake and at the same time provide a niche for the microbiota. As a consequence, the gut is exposed to a vast variety of foreign antigens and has evolved a cellular network to ensure gut homeostasis. Maintaining this balance is important for optimal growth ...

Welfare of pigs during finishing

Finisher pigs, those of a post-weaning age kept for slaughter, make up the majority of the world pig population of approximately 1 billion. The intensive production system for post-weaned pigs is characterised by higher animal density, larger farms, use of concentrated foods and control of the pr...

Developing decision support systems for optimizing livestock diets in farms

Provision of safe and affordable food is in increasing demand. Society is also concerned about animal welfare and environmental problems caused by livestock. Balancing these conflicting objectives is a challenge, which requires multidisciplinary research to overcome. This chapter reviews the evol...

Optimising the health of finisher pigs

The growing and finishing phase is often seen as the simplest part of the pig production cycle in commercial farms. The target is to have the pigs ready for slaughter at the expected weight and age with the minimum variability on weights and avoiding production tails. This is probably easier said...

Diseases affecting pigs: an overview of common bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens of pigs

Recent events such as the 2009 pandemic influenza outbreak, the continuous spread of African swine fever virus in Eastern Europe and the introduction of several new pathogens into the United States and their spread to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America have emphasized the ability of pig di...

Optimizing the health of gilts and sows during pregnancy and parturition

Pregnancy and parturition are sensitive phases of the production cycle in the sow. Indeed, production diseases such as post partum dysgalactia syndrome (PDS) and vaginal discharge syndrome (VDS) appear in the peri- or postpartum period. Social stress and seasonal disruption of pregnancy in group ...

Salmonella control in pig production

Salmonella infections of zoonotic origin are one of the most frequent causes of zoonotic infections worldwide, and there are clear indications that, at least in some countries, pork is an important source of human salmonellosis. This chapter describes the epidemiology of salmonella and possible i...

Host–pathogen interactions and genetic tools for resistance to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) is responsible for serious losses to the global pig industry and is emblematic of the modern infection disease problem. Respiratory disease caused by PRRSV is the result of a complex interaction of the virus with lung macrophages. PRRSV is unique...

On-farm strategies for preventing pig diseases: improving biosecurity

Pigs are susceptible to a wide range of diseases that can affect health, welfare and productivity. The implementation of biosecurity measures along the production chain is one of the major solutions to minimize the risk of introduction of diseases into a farm (external biosecurity), as well as th...

Detecting and preventing chemical residues in pig meat

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new animal drug approval process evaluates veterinary drugs intended for use in food-producing animals for safety and effectiveness. As part of the human food safety evaluation, new animal drugs are evaluated for microbial food safety, toxicology and res...

Changing patterns of disease affecting pigs: porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (prrs) and porcine epidemic diarrhoea (ped)

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) are two of the major viruses that affect pigs worldwide. This chapter focuses on the transmission, clinical presentation, evolution and spread of these two agents (PRRSv and PEDv), due to their...

Advances in technologies for monitoring pig welfare

The pig sector undergoes a major transformation characterized by intensification, geographic concentration, vertical integration and increasing scales of production. This creates new challenges for animal welfare. Sensor technology offers multiple advantages for monitoring key indicators of welfa...

Producing consistent quality meat from the modern pig

Pork producers have focussed, over many years, on producing pork efficiently and sustainably, in order to satisfy consumer demand for lean pork and remain competitive. Increases in efficiency and leanness have been achieved through genetics, targeted nutrition and the use of entire males and meta...

Welfare of weaned piglets

Demands for improved animal welfare and animal handling systems from governments, non-government organizations and consumers are increasing. The weaning period in pork production has particular potential to positively impact animals. This chapter focuses on current practices that can be detriment...

Transport and lairage of pigs

Defects in meat quality cost the swine industry millions of dollars each year. Reduction in stress prior to slaughter can help alleviate these costs. This chapter describes the main events that may contribute to pre-slaughter stress and their impacts on animal welfare and pork quality, from on-fa...

Welfare of gilts and pregnant sows

Mismatches between the evolutionary biology of the sow and current commercial production systems give rise to welfare challenges of stereotyped behaviour development in confined systems and aggression in group housing systems. This chapter describes the welfare issues associated with individual c...

The influence of gut microbiome on developing immune and metabolic systems in the young pig

The immune and metabolic systems of young piglets develop after birth, and the rate and type of development are strongly associated with the rate and type of colonisation of the intestine with bacteria. This chapter describes the enteric and mucosal immune systems of pigs and presents evidence fr...

Alternatives to castration of pigs

Piglets have been traditionally been surgically castrated to avoid boar taint risk and aggression and mounting behaviour. However, castration without anaesthesia and analgesia induces pain and has become a controversial practice on welfare grounds. Therefore, alternatives to surgical pig castrati...

Disease identification and management on the pig farm

Endemic diseases constitute a major threat for a profitable and sustainable pig production worldwide. This chapter reviews the diagnosis and monitoring of pig diseases, and control measures that can be implemented on the farm. The most important issues to establish a diagnosis are discussed. Moni...

Advances in understanding mechanisms of porcine viral disease transmission/epidemiology

The stability, productivity, sustainability and profitability of the global swine industry depend upon many factors and conditions, including infectious diseases. These diseases have a significant impact on animal health worldwide, and in some instances upon human health due to their zoonotic imp...

Dealing with the challenge of antibiotic resistance in pig production

This chapter describes the practice of antibiotic use in food animal production, with a particular focus on pigs, and the various questions this practice raises. The chapter begins with a brief history of antibiotic use in livestock production before examining the current state of research focuse...

Evidence of pain in piglets subjected to invasive management procedures

In this chapter, the authors examine the physiological and behavioural reactions in pigs submitted to tissue damaging procedures. They are grouped in three parts: (1) neural, (2) hormonal and metabolic and (3) behavioural consequences. The chapter focuses on surgical castration, tail docking and ...

Defining and ensuring animal welfare in pig production: an overview

Raising pigs for consumption involves the exercise of control over the quality and duration of their lives, and it is widely accepted that there is a duty to exercise this control humanely. This chapter begins by reviewing three conceptual frameworks which can be used to consider and assess anima...

Instant insights: improving the welfare of gilts and sows

This collection reviews the range of welfare concerns that can arise in the different stages of pig production, focussing on pregnancy and parturition, breeding and gestation, and farrowing and lactation. Chapters consider best practices for mitigating welfare challenges and highlights the import...

Nutritional strategies to reduce emissions from waste in pig production

Emissions of ammonia, odour and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from livestock housing and storage and application of manure are major concerns in the environmental sustainability of pig production. This chapter addresses dietary strategies to reduce these emissions. It examines in detail the relationshi...

Factors affecting the colour and texture of pig meat

In pork, colour and texture are the two most significant factors influencing consumer perceptions of quality. It is therefore important to understand the many factors that can affect pork colour and texture, because these factors influence purchasing decisions. Furthermore, those in charge of mar...

Advances in finding a vaccine for african swine fever

Instant insights: improving the welfare of growing and finishing pigs

This book offers a detailed overview of best practices to improve the welfare of growing and finishing pigs, focussing on elements of nutrition, behaviour, housing, transport and handling.

Advances in developing vaccines for emerging diseases in pigs

The rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious pig diseases is due to various complex factors, including natural processes of natural selection of pathogens, changes in the environment and an increased ability to diagnose new pathogens. These diseases are considered a major threat to the global ...

Understanding and preventing tail biting in pigs

Tail biting is a behavioural problem of pigs which is associated with welfare detriment for both the perpetrator and victim. It is seen to some extent on most farms worldwide and causes considerable economic loss, leading to widespread adoption of tail docking for risk reduction. Its occurrence ...

Understanding and identifying bacterial disease in swine

Infections with bacterial pathogens have a significant impact on the health, well-being and performance of pigs worldwide. Infections are responsible for antimicrobial use, and therefore, increase the risk for the development of antimicrobial resistance. Some bacterial pathogens in swine are also...

Pasture systems for pigs

The inclusion of pastures in outdoor pig systems contributes significantly to improving the sustainability of these farming systems. This chapter examines the characteristics of pasture pig systems, including forages and pasture management as well the effects of pasture on meat quality. The chapt...

Physiological and behavioral responses to disease in pigs

This chapter provides critical information on the physiological and behavioral responses common to pigs experiencing disease and describe animal-based outcomes directly impacted during a disease state. In addition, timely tools to prevent and monitor disease at the herd level are discussed and di...

Welfare assessment of pigs

If the aim of a welfare assessment is to describe the welfare on-farm, not only here and now but for a longer time period, then the measures to be used have to be chosen with this in mind. It is by choosing relevant but common indicators that the assessment is representative of the farm over time...

Optimising pig welfare at the weaning and nursery stage

The welfare of pigs at the nursery stage is an area of special concern because of the manifold influencing factors that have the potential to decrease seriously the piglets’ wellbeing. Especially the separation from their mother sow in combination with a very young weaning age in modern pig farmi...

Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving pig gut health

This collection summarises current research on the structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract in pigs, the factors that can influence its effectiveness, as well as the nutritional strategies that can improve gut development and optimise gut function.

Developmental influences on pig behaviour

This chapter reviews developmental influences on pig behaviour. It begins by discussing prenatal environmental effects on development of pig behaviour, focusing on aspects such as pre-conception and post-conception environments on offspring and piglet behaviour. It also touches on prenatal housin...

Advances in the development and use of vaccines for prevention of endemic diseases in pigs

The current trend of pig/swine production towards intensive industrialised production creates a window of opportunity for pathogens to spread between and within farms. The main focus of vaccination are gilts and weaners. For gilts the challenge is to acclimatise them before entering the breeding ...

Nutritional composition and the value of pig meat

Pork is a commonly consumed protein source which contributes various macro- and micronutrients to the diet of people living in the United States, some positively and negatively influencing indices of human health. This book chapter provides data about the nutritional content and current intakes o...

Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs

This collection reviews the genetic and developmental factors that affect pig behaviour and assesses ways of optimising pig welfare at different stages of production, from breeding to slaughter.

Assessing the environmental impact of swine production

The swine production industry has reduced environmental impacts during the past 50 years due to productivity gains. However, there are increasing demands on our resource base, and we need robust tools to continue to support the best decisions in the face of environmental challenges. This chapter ...

Organic pig production systems, welfare and sustainability

Organic pig production systems seek to produce pig meat in a more ethical and natural manner. This involves adherence to standards relating to accommodation, feeding, health management, husbandry and behavioural freedom which differ from conventional pig production practice. To be sustainable, or...

Developing animal feed products

This volume reviews key research and the challenges faced in developing new livestock feed products that promote growth whilst also enhancing both product quality and safety. This collection also summarises recent key developments in the sector, including a better understanding of gut function an...

Instant insights: environmental impact of livestock production

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on the environmental impact of livestock production.

Understanding the relationship between the microbiome and the structure and function of the pig gastrointestinal tract

The gut epithelium acts as a barrier to the gut environment. The integrity of the epithelial structure and function is thus critical for microbiome-host interaction. The gut microbiome can regulate the utilization and synthesis of mucin, the expressions of the intercellular junction complex, and ...

Advances in sheep production

While sheep production has an important place in many farming systems across the world, sheep products face an increasingly competitive market. In addition to traditional concerns about product quality, consumers are also increasingly motivated by issues such as livestock welfare, greenhouse gas ...

Advances in surveillance and diagnostic techniques for tracking the spread of african swine fever

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most important viral diseases of domestic and wild suids. Over the last 15 years, ASF has gone truly pandemic and with that, fast, reliable, but also pragmatic diagnostic approaches are needed for early detection and surveillance. In the following chapter, ...

Instant insights: optimising reproductive efficiency in pigs

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the range of factors currently affecting reproductive efficiency in modern pig production, such as gilt development and litter size for sows and genetic line and progressive motility for boars.

Advances in pig breeding and reproduction

This collection provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on recent developments in pig breeding, including the shift from a primary focus on production traits to traits encompassing improved feed efficiency and disease resistance. The book also considers advances in understanding...

Soil health: towards a sustainable world

Soil health is one of the most popular research agendas in current agriculture science. It has been addressed to some extent for centuries, but today we have the scientific tools to examine and quantify chemical, physical and biological aspects of soil. The link of soil health to human and anima...

Instant insights: drought-resistant crops

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on drought-resistant crops.

Instant insights: regenerative techniques to improve soil health

This book provides a detailed overview of the use of regenerative techniques to improve soil health, including the use of compost and crop rotations.

Instant insights: crop rotations

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on crop rotations in agriculture.

Instant insights: conservation tillage in agriculture

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on conservation tillage in agriculture.

Understanding and fostering soil carbon sequestration

This collection reviews the wealth of recent research on important aspects of soil carbon sequestration in different environments and soil types and its contribution to ensuring a positive carbon budget at the farm and landscape level.

Instant insights: soil health indicators

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on soil health indicators.

Instant insights: soil erosion

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on soil erosion in agriculture.

Biofertilizers: assessing the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soil health

This chapter discusses the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biofertilizers on soil health. It begins by addressing the key issues of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil health, specifically focusing on improved soil structure and stability, soil contamination, carbon sequestration and nu...

Developing soil health indicators for improved soil management on farm

Whilst there is a growing range of ways to measure individual soil physical chemical and biological properties, a particular concern of scientists, policy makers and farmers is the lack of robust, practical measures of soil health that can be used to describe the current state of soil, underpin d...

Developing decision support systems (dss) for farm soil and crop management

This chapter provides a review of decision support systems (DSS) in agriculture and addresses several key questions about them. Why are they important, and why are they necessary for the future? What kind of systems currently exist? Different aspects of agricultural DSS design, implementation and...

Mycorrhizae and soil health

Mycorrhizal fungi establish symbiotic associations with roots of ~80% of plant families and have an important role in sustaining plant growth and soil health. This chapter explores the diverse roles of mycorrhizal fungi in mediating soil ecosystem services and improving soil health, including agg...

Soil inorganic carbon: stocks, functions, losses and their consequences

Carbonate-containing minerals comprise an additional form of soil carbon known as soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Though SIC stocks are large, they been disregarded in most studies to carbon sequestration. After reviewing the main forms of SIC (geogenic, biogenic and pedogenic carbonates) and the ch...

Geophysical methods to assess soil characteristics

This chapter explores the use of geophysical methods to assess soil physical characteristics. The chapter begins by reviewing the geophysical properties of soil, such as clay content and organic matter content. It then moves on to discuss the electromagnetic induction method and its application,...

Characterisation of fungal communities and functions in agricultural soils

One of the main drivers for the recent interest in utilising fungi has been the development of molecular technologies which allow us to investigate fungal communities in detail. We have made significant steps forward in understanding numbers and functions of fungal communities in soil. If we are ...

The role of liming in improving soil health

Soil acidity is a threat to a healthy soil with far-reaching consequences, both direct and indirect, on soil chemical and physical properties, impacting the growth, health and composition of organisms growing in a soil and with potential for negative off-site impacts. All agricultural production ...

Assessing the effects of crop residue retention on soil health

Crop residues are the most accessible form of plant residues. Conventional agricultural cropping systems rely on synthetic fertilizer; however, these systems also require regular organic inputs from crop residue, root biomass, and rhizodeposition to maintain soil organic matter (SOM), improve soi...

Instant insights: cover crops

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on cover crops in agriculture.

Biological basis of soil organic carbon sequestration: a complex set of interactive processes

In this chapter we propose a conceptual framework to guide understanding of the complex nature of the underlying biological processes involved in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. We analyze, step by step, the conditions that promote an accumulation of organic matter in the soil and the ma...

Advances in digital soil mapping to assess baseline levels and carbon sequestration at the landscape scale

Mapping soil carbon, both organic and inorganic carbon, is gaining a lot of attention and interest, as it can be a substantial source and sink for climate change mitigation, food security and ecosystem services. Digital soil mapping and modeling spatiotemporal variations or changes are helpful to...

Plant influences on soil organic carbon dynamics

Plants play a central role in governing soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, as a direct contributor, a mediator and fuel for microbial processing, and a regulator of soil physiochemical processes. The above processes may occur independently or interactively, sometimes inducing counteracting effec...

The contribution of agroforestry systems to improving soil carbon sequestration

Agroforestry is a land-use system where woody perennials are deliberately combined with agricultural crops and/or livestock on the same land-management units in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence. Agroforestry has the potential to respond to multiple challenges related to soil ...

Instant insights: using manure in soil management

This book reviews recent advances in the utilisation of livestock manure to improve soil management and health. Chapters discuss best practices for the storage, treatment and processing of livestock manure, as well as the effects of manure application on the ability of soil to deliver a range of ...

Instant insights: zero/no-till cultivation

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the implementation of zero/no-till cultivation practices across agriculture and the consequent effects on soil health, productivity and other soil functions.

Assessing the effects of using animal manure on soil health

This chapter reviews the impacts associated with the application of livestock and poultry manure on the ability of soil to deliver a range of ecosystem services that sustain plants, animals, people and the environment in which they live.

Advances in measuring soil health

This volume begins with a review of advances in measuring soil biological activity. Parts 2 and 3 survey developments in measuring soil physical and chemical properties. The collection concludes by reviewing soil health indicators and decision support systems for improving soil management.

Assessing the effects of compost on soil health

As agricultural producers embrace the principles of the circular economy and regenerative practices, the use of organic fertilizers is becoming increasingly common. Composting is a robust, low-cost technology that stabilizes organic waste materials into organic fertilizers that can be safely appl...

Cover crops for soil health

Cover crops are accessory plants integrated in production agriculture as means to enhance organic inputs and diversification, both above and belowground. The living cover provides a bundle of environmental services including soil conservation and healthy function. This chapter reviews the literat...

Understanding biological processes in soil

Soil health fundamentally reflects biological processes in the soil ecosystem. The development of soil health frameworks and associated indicators have increasingly prioritized biologically relevant characteristics of soil. Some of these properties, like soil organic carbon, reflect resources ava...

Advances in visual soil evaluation techniques

Soil structure is a complex and dynamic soil property that constitutes a key aspect of soil health. Soil structure assessment can be evaluated in the field by visual soil evaluation techniques. Development and improvement of these techniques/methods have been the focus of numerous soil scientists...

Spectral mapping of soil organic carbon

This chapter first reviews recent pilot studies covering limited areas often with exposed bare soils. Then we focus on the challenges for large-scale application of spectral mapping when the soil and parent material are heterogeneous and surface conditions are unknown. In order to deal with these...

Advances in techniques to assess soil erodibility

Soil erodibility is the susceptibility of soil to the erosive forces of rainsplash, runoff and wind. It is a significant factor in determining present and future soil erosion rates. Focusing on soil erosion by water, this chapter shows that erodibility is determined by static and dynamic soil pro...

Assessing the effect of biosolids on soil health

This chapter reviews the evidence for both the beneficial and potentially harmful effects of biosolids application on soil health, and highlights areas where further research is still required.

Assessing soil health by measuring fauna

This chapter provides examples of the impact of soil fauna on soil health within different ecosystems and how the soil habitat changes in relation to this biodiversity. It focuses specifically on mesofauna in agriculture, grasslands, woodlands and as bioindicators, before concluding with an overv...

Imaging soil structure to measure soil functions and soil health with x-ray computed micro-tomography

The use of non-invasive imaging techniques expands opportunities to characterize soil health and functioning, complementing the information from the traditional soil structure analyses. Soil pore architecture drives water and gas fluxes, chemical transport, activity and movement of soil biota; an...

Biofertilizers: assessing the effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria (pgpb) or rhizobacteria (pgpr) on soil and plant health

Modern agriculture relies on the extensive use of chemicals to combat plant diseases and increase agricultural productivity which leads to health and environmental hazards. In the recent past, soil microorganisms, such as the plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) or rhizobacteria (PGPR), have em...

Introduction: soil carbon sequestration – a process linking soils to humanity

This chapter provides an overview of the contents of the book and highlights key issues in understanding soil carbon sequestration.

Assessing the effects of no-till cultivation practices on soil health

The goal of this chapter is to assess the effect of no-till (NT) practices on soil health. NT is a long-established method for controlling erosion, and has been increasingly recognized as improving soil physical, chemical, and biological health without compromising yield. This chapter explores t...