From using sensors and psychological profiles to increase compliance of wean-to-market barn biosecurity to determining the economical and epidemiological benefits of cleaning and disinfecting market haul trailers, the second round of proposal submissions in the Swine Health Information Center’s Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program are nothing short of exciting.
The program, funded in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, has selected five additional projects for funding after review of round two proposal submissions, SHIC said in a release. This brings the total number of projects awarded by the program to 15 for addressing a significant biosecurity gap in U.S. swine production.
The updated research priorities in the second round of proposal solicitation focused on site and transportation biosecurity in five targeted areas:
1. Personnel biocontainment and bioexclusion
2. Mortality management
3. Truck wash efficiency
4. Alternatives to fixed truck wash
5. Packing plant biocontainment
Institutions receiving awards in the second round are Lowe Consulting, Pipestone Research, Texas Tech University, University of Missouri and University of Montreal. Real-time results of all projects will be shared as quickly as they become available, SHIC adds.
The projects awarded will address the following topics:
• Self-vaccinating pigs to save labor, improve efficacy and enhance biosecurity: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, influenza A virus, ileitis and erysipelas evaluations
• Determining the economical and epidemiological benefit of cleaning and disinfecting market haul trailers within the U.S. swine industry
• Comparison of a rail-mounted automated power washer to a commercial manual power washing crew in terms of cleanliness, manpower, and water usage efficiency
• Development of an effective and practical biosecurity entrance system
• Using sensors and psychological profile to increase compliance of wean to market barn biosecurity
“Each of the awarded research projects take a unique and novel approach to enhancing personnel or transport biosecurity. Investigations will determine the efficacy of new tools or validate novel technologies to reduce the risk of disease spread through these routes,” SHIC Associate Director Megan Niederwerder explained. “For example, they will look at updating protocols, such as the entry bench, and addressing farms’ labor challenges by reducing the number of individuals entering barns. Projects were reviewed for their value to pork producers and their ability to provide cost-effective biosecurity solutions on the farm.”
The Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program is just one example of SHIC’s responsiveness to an identified swine health vulnerability and collaborative efforts to stretch producer Checkoff funds to safeguard the health of the U.S. swine herd.
“Proactively enhancing wean-to-harvest biosecurity will help control the next emerging disease in the US pork industry, part of SHIC’s mission,” SHIC adds.
Editor’s Note: SHIC, FFAR and Pork Checkoff launched the two-year Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program in the fall of 2022. The first call for research proposals was announced in October 2022 with the goal of investigating cost-effective, innovative technologies, protocols, or ideas to enhance biosecurity during the wean-to-harvest phases of swine production. Round one projects launched in March 2023. Round two proposals were due in late April 2023 and are expected to begin in July-August 2023. A pool of approximately $2.3 million is available for the program, with approximately $1 million being awarded to the first round of projects.
