Research
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) National Barley Cluster
Enhanced use of barley and its fractions in monogastric nutrition Priority 2: Economic Growth
Dr. Martin Nyachoti, University of Manitoba
Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra, University of Alberta
Barley is commonly used in grain diets for young pigs in many areas of the world, but this practice is less common in North America, as the high fibre content in barley is associated with lower nutrient digestibility and energy value. However, as feed antibiotics to control gut health have been phased out in the North American swine industry, there’s a strong opportunity to capitalize on the health benefits of barley grain as a prebiotic and a tool to control gut health in young pigs.
This research aims to identify, enhance and optimize the functional properties of barley as a swine feed. It also aims to make a case to increase the overall use of barley and its fibre fractions in swine nutrition as a means to reduce feed cost, enhance feed efficiency, improve gut health and protect against E. coli.
Objectives
- Determine and characterize fibre components of barley grain and explore the potential for enhanced fermentation and E. coli bacteria adherence properties using enzyme supplementation and processing technologies.
- Establish health and growth benefits of including barley with or without enzyme supplementation in feed rations to improve welfare of nursery pigs.
- Understand barley feed grain and pig responses using enzyme supplementation and particle size reduction to develop higher efficiency barley feed.
- Determine in piglets the potential anti-diarrheal effects of intact barley fibre, barley fibre enzyme hydrolysis products and processed barley fibre using the in situ and in vivo E. coli disease challenge models.