Dr Alice Weaver of Myora Farm, South Australia and Interim APRIL CEO Dr Roger Campbell at PPPE 2018. Dr Weaver leads APRIL Project 3B-105, ‘Effects of negative DCAD and vitamin D in transition diets to increase piglet weaning numbers, improve piglet weaning weight and minimise sow condition loss during lactation.’

APRIL funded projects to a total value of more than $900,000.

All successful applicants have now been advised, with all providing an additional 20 to 25 per cent cash contribution to the APRIL funding.

APRIL’s three programmes cover resilience, cost and return on assets.

Under resilience, it sought proposals on the more judicious use of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance and novel assessment of animal welfare.

Under cost it sought proposals to help the Australian pork industry reduce reliance on more conventional feed ingredients and help insulate the industry from global grain and soybean markets.
APRIL’s target is to reduce average feed cost by 10 per cent and cost of production by 40 cents, based on ‘current’ ingredient prices.

The return on assets programme covers new science to markedly enhance reproduction and progeny health and performance.

Roger Campbell, Interim CEO of APRIL, said the supported projects would provide new insights into antibiotic resistance and how this might be avoided, the role of enzymes and ingredients on the gut microbiome and some out of the box means of enhancing performance and reducing cost.

“I am optimistic about the projects being game changers and excited about them getting underway,” Dr Campbell said.

The supported projects are as follows:

• A1-101 – Novel approaches for reducing antimicrobial resistant and pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria in the porcine gut – Dr Sam Abraham – Murdoch University
• A1-102 – Proof of concept: Oral Fluids and quantitative assessment for Porcine Chronic Respiratory Disease (PCRD) in Australian field conditions – Dr Anke Woeckel – Rivalea (Australia) Pty Ltd
• A1-103 – Improving enteric health, understanding impact on gut microbiome and weaner performance through the use of protease enzymes - Robert Hewitt – SunPork North
• A1-106 – A lab on a chip for real time pain and animal welfare biomarker measurement – Dr Robyn Terry – SARDI
• A2-101 – Protected vitamin and mineral premixes maintain performance of commercial pigs at reduced inclusion rates – Rob Hewitt – SunPork North
• A3A-101 – Improved feed efficiency, control of P2 back fat and maintenance of pork quality in finishing pigs fed bitter extracts – Dr Eugeni Roura – University of Queensland
• A3A-102 – Review relationship between energy intake and protein deposition in 60-100 kg pigs with modern genetics using DXA scanner – Dr Fan Liu – Rivalea (Australia) Pty Ltd
• A3A-103 – Feeding a single diet to pigs in the grower/finisher stage to reduce feed costs and improve feed efficiency – Dr Karen Moore – PIWA
• A 3B-101 – Using GnRH analogues for fixed-time AI and pregnancy support to address seasonal infertility in sows – Dr Sean O’Leary – University of Adelaide
• A 3B-102 – Nutritional supplementation to increase the number of pigs weaned and fertility of sows which farrow and are mated during summer /early autumn – Dr William van Wettere – University of Adelaide
• A 3B-103 – Identifying reciprocal chromosomal translocations to reduce early embryo mortality – Dr Darryl D’Souza – SunPork Solutions
• A 3B-104 – Seasonal fertility: a novel approach to alleviating seasonal infertility in sows – Dr Kate Plush – SunPork Solutions
• A 3B-105 – Effects of negative DCAD and vitamin D in transition diets to increase piglet weaning numbers, improve piglet weaning weight, and minimise sow condition loss during lactation – Dr Alice Weaver – Myora Farm