New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritio ....New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritional interventions in the pre-weaning and (or) post-weaning periods targeted at reducing bacterial pathogens in the gut. A reduction in PWD will increase the overall efficiency of pig production in Australia and reduce antibiotic use.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101364
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,460.00
Summary
Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased so ....Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased soy production is problematic. The expected outcomes of this project will be an increase in our future capacity to produce affordable, healthy chicken-meat with humane animal welfare by novel dietary formulations. Chicken-meat production generates less greenhouse gases than its competitors but this project will contribute to the reduction of harmful environmental outputs and ensure food security for Australia.Read moreRead less
Early life overfeeding - mechanisms for programming obesity and long-term immune dysfunction. Early life overfeeding can lead to obesity and related changes in adulthood. With this study we will discover how overfeeding can permanently alter an animal's development so that its body weight and immune functions are dysregulated. The outcomes will facilitate appropriate design of animal experiments considering the impact of neonatal programming. They will also contribute to more efficient feeding p ....Early life overfeeding - mechanisms for programming obesity and long-term immune dysfunction. Early life overfeeding can lead to obesity and related changes in adulthood. With this study we will discover how overfeeding can permanently alter an animal's development so that its body weight and immune functions are dysregulated. The outcomes will facilitate appropriate design of animal experiments considering the impact of neonatal programming. They will also contribute to more efficient feeding protocols for meat production in agriculture and identify targets for risk management and for preventing and ameliorating early life overfeeding effects in humans. This investigation therefore has clear benefits to the social, economic, and health aspects of obesity and to basic science and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australi ....Sustaining chicken-meat production with alternative protein sources. This project aims to secure sustainable chicken-meat production by the radical reduction or even elimination of imported soybean meal as the primary protein source in Australian broiler diets by its replacement with feed-grade amino acids and local feedstuffs. This project will expand our comprehension of starch/glucose and protein/amino acid digestive dynamics in poultry diets based on wheat, the primary feed grain in Australia; however, wheat does inherently possess nutritional disadvantages. Expected outcomes include soybean meal-free feed formulations for the Australian chicken-meat industry to enhance the affordable and environmentally viable production of chicken-meat coupled with improved bird welfare and flock health. Read moreRead less
SCRC: SCRC Honours Scholarship H4.3 The Effects Of Feeding Alternative Protein Sources On The Intestinal Mucus Layer And Mucosal Architecture In Yellowtail Kingfish (Rebecca Forder; Student Matthew Bransemer.)
Development of novel omega-3 enriched poultry products. New Health recommendations and changes to the Food Standards Code encourage greater dietary intake of omega-3 (w-3) fatty acids. Our core research on modifying fatty acid composition of poultry tissues and preliminary studies with our industry partner's proprietary fishmeal product (PorcOmega) have indicated the feasibility of producing novel meat products and eggs with high w-3 contents, which would qualify to carry a new nutrition label. ....Development of novel omega-3 enriched poultry products. New Health recommendations and changes to the Food Standards Code encourage greater dietary intake of omega-3 (w-3) fatty acids. Our core research on modifying fatty acid composition of poultry tissues and preliminary studies with our industry partner's proprietary fishmeal product (PorcOmega) have indicated the feasibility of producing novel meat products and eggs with high w-3 contents, which would qualify to carry a new nutrition label. We now propose, in collaboration with our industry partner, to assess the viability of producing such products by conducting poultry feeding trials with PorcOmega on a commercial scale and evaluating both the levels of w-3 enrichement of chicken breast, thigh and sausages, shelf-life and consumer acceptability (sensory evaluation) of these products. We expect to establish feeding strategies for adoption by commercial producers of premium poultry and eggs for local or export markets.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101132
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
How social relationships improve sheep productivity. This project aims to determine how the social network structure of a flock and different individuals’ experience and leadership abilities improve a population’s well-being and productivity (wool clip and lambing rates). This project will use social network theory and collective behaviour in animals to manage sheep in Australia’s arid rangelands, which are important for the pastoral industry, but where ecological challenges reduce livestock pro ....How social relationships improve sheep productivity. This project aims to determine how the social network structure of a flock and different individuals’ experience and leadership abilities improve a population’s well-being and productivity (wool clip and lambing rates). This project will use social network theory and collective behaviour in animals to manage sheep in Australia’s arid rangelands, which are important for the pastoral industry, but where ecological challenges reduce livestock productivity. An expected outcome is management guidelines for the sheep industry to improve wool and meat production.Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Yellowtail Kingfish Health Workshop And Feed Analysis
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$49,504.75
Summary
The long term viability of Yellowtail Kingfish production is in question given the significant and unprecedented health issues Cleanseas has experienced in recent times. This is demonstrated by the fact that the cumulative mortality is presently 39.2% in the 2011 year class and 37.71% in the younger 2012 year class. Though the primary cause for poor fish performance remains unclear, disease investigations conducted but Future Fisheries Veterinary Services have provided insight in to the diseas ....The long term viability of Yellowtail Kingfish production is in question given the significant and unprecedented health issues Cleanseas has experienced in recent times. This is demonstrated by the fact that the cumulative mortality is presently 39.2% in the 2011 year class and 37.71% in the younger 2012 year class. Though the primary cause for poor fish performance remains unclear, disease investigations conducted but Future Fisheries Veterinary Services have provided insight in to the disease picture. It is known that the disease picture is different between the year classes and investigations have found a mixture of disease agents, a high occurrence of intestinal disease and abnormalities, lesions and inflammation of major organs. Given the complex and potentially multifactorial nature of the disease picture CST seeks the advice from experts in the field of fish nutrition, pathology, aquatic health, enteritis, virology, and protozoan parasitology. To this end, CST wishes to hold a workshop to review the information gathered thus far in order to develop remedial strategies for immediate implementation. The workshop will also formulate a disease investigation plan to elucidate the cause of its disease issues. In addition to the workshop, CST wishes to conduct nutritional analysis of its diets as dietary factors maybe a significant contributor to the disease profile being observed. Objectives: 1. To conduct detailed nutritional analysis and review commercial diets to determine whether dietary formulations are sufficient for optimal fish performance 2. health with an emphasis on nutrition and enteritis. 3. Development of a comprehensive disease investigation plan which will provide the basis of all future CRC projects concerned with YTK production 4. Identify remedial strategies which can be immediately implemented to reduce mortality and improve growth in the existing stock Read moreRead less
SCRC: PhD: Atlantic Salmon Gastrointestinal Health And Productivity
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
This project proposal has been initiated in order to determine the nature of Atlantic salmon GI tract communities, in healthy and SGS afflicted fish in relation to environment factors and diet. Changes in sea surface temperatures coupled with the use of feeds designed to reduce the reliance on fish meal, have coincided with the occurrence of Summer Gut Syndrome (SGS) a condition that significantly impacts the salmon industry through reduced productivity. The lack of a specific pathogen and worku ....This project proposal has been initiated in order to determine the nature of Atlantic salmon GI tract communities, in healthy and SGS afflicted fish in relation to environment factors and diet. Changes in sea surface temperatures coupled with the use of feeds designed to reduce the reliance on fish meal, have coincided with the occurrence of Summer Gut Syndrome (SGS) a condition that significantly impacts the salmon industry through reduced productivity. The lack of a specific pathogen and workup to this date indicate the problem may relate to an interaction between environmental conditions leading to physiological stress in the fish that in turn perturb or modify gastrointestinal tract microbial communities leading to general inappetence and thus slow or negative weight gains in summer.
The research will provide the Salmon aquaculture industry with vital information that could lead to supplemented diets designed to reduce the impact of SGS on productivity, whilst increasing the sustainability of the industry by reducing the reliance on antibiotics and fish meal. The project will provide new information on the GI tract health of Atlantic salmon in relation to environmental conditions and possible changes in these conditions. The studies could be applicable to other finfish species that may have management issues arising from changing environmental conditions such as increasing surface water temperature.Read moreRead less
Optimising the Strategy for Breeding Micronutrient-Dense Staple Foods that Improve Human health and Nutrition. The project is part of a new paradigm for agriculture in which staple crops are bred with greater micronutrient density to improve human health. It generates strategic basic information on how nutrients interact in the body of animal models in absorption, transport and utilisation that will allow plant breeders to optimise the breeding strategy for maximum outcomes in health and minimum ....Optimising the Strategy for Breeding Micronutrient-Dense Staple Foods that Improve Human health and Nutrition. The project is part of a new paradigm for agriculture in which staple crops are bred with greater micronutrient density to improve human health. It generates strategic basic information on how nutrients interact in the body of animal models in absorption, transport and utilisation that will allow plant breeders to optimise the breeding strategy for maximum outcomes in health and minimum breeding cost. Animals deficient in the nutrients of most concern (iron, zinc, vitamin A - and inulin) will be fed new varieties with enhanced levels of these factors, and from the responses, a superior strategy will be developed.Read moreRead less