INFORMATION FOR WEANER PIGS INCLUDED IN NEW SID DATABASE
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By Matt Holmes, Features editor, Milling and Grain new standardised ileal digestibility (SID) database for swine feed has been released, that provides SID values of all amino acid for weaners, as well as for grower pigs. The database was released by German-based industrial company Evonik. This new information means that feeds formulated specifically for weaners will no longer need to be based on digestibility data from growers, which should more closely meet requirement and result in enhanced performance, as well
as reduced nitrogen excretion. The annual Evonik Swine SID Compendium provides up-to-date SID coefficients for all essential and non-essential amino acids, for 73 different ingredients used in grower feeds, and 43 ingredients used in feeds for weaner pigs. The data is based on numerous scientific studies and publications compiled over the past year. “Formulating feeds based on the standard ileal digestibility of amino acids is the most effective way to optimise nitrogen utilization, while at the same time minimising its excretion into the environment,” explains Dr Alfred Petri, Senior Vice President Sales Animal Nutrition. “Until now, feeds for weaners have been based on the same SID values as those for growers, even though digestibility of amino acids can be lower in younger pigs. “This new data will mean that feeds can be formulated to meet the specific needs of weaners more closely and, therefore, reduce the risk of supplying too much, or too little, of specific amino acids for optimal health and growth.” Nitrogen release by production animals is directly related to excess crude protein in the diet and the digestibility of amino acids. Concern over the environmental impact of nitrogen has led to increasing scrutiny by governmental agencies. Excess nitrogen in the environment can prove particularly hazardous, impairing our breathing, limit visibility and also alter plant growth, algae in certain ecosystems growing faster than is considered a suitable rate. The problem of excess nitrogen is growing to be a particularly overwhelming problem, especially so in the US. Polluted water, even at low levels, can prove extremely harmful, producing pollutants such as ammonia. Other causes of nitrogen pollution include the excessive use of fossil fuels, fertilisers in gardens, soaps and detergents that contain nitrogen and phosphorous, pet waste and storm water what carries pollutants into local waterways. Massive dead zones of polluted water are now appearing more frequently in the world. Chesapeake Bay, a primary fishing spot for the rare blue crab, has a dead zone what is considered overly polluted, and a similar body of water is also present in the Gulf of Mexico. Over 100,000 miles of rivers and streams, 2.5 million acres of lakes and ponds and over 800 square miles of estuaries in the US have poor water quality due to the effects of nitrogen. The International Nitrogen Management System (INMS), a five-year, US $60 million research project devised by the UN Environment Programme and the Global Environment Facility, has already laid out major steps towards preventing nitrogen pollution worldwide. They stated that we must, as a planet, halve the amount of nitrogen we add into the environment by the mid-twenty-first century, otherwise we will face a toxic epidemic. Dead oceans and lifeless rivers will become a common reality. In the past half-century, we have increased our use of nitrogen more than any other major element we use. Approximately half of the world’s crops are made by the use of fertiliser that uses nitrogen from the air. INMS, alongside working on nitrogen pollution, have also claimed there are three other major biogeochemical issues that may damage our planet irreparable. These changes have been termed ‘planet boundaries’, the other three being climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss.]
76 | October 2018 - Milling and Grain