Like many equestrians, my love affair with horses began at an extremely young age. Growing up, I took every opportunity I could to ride and simply be around horses. I was the stereotypical horse-obsessed little girl. And, like many adult amateur riders, I never grew out of that so-called “phase.”

I rode mostly Western in those days, and back then I probably never gave my own safety a second thought. Undoubtedly, I realized that horses were quite large and capable of being dangerous, and I had experienced my fair share of falls and close calls to prove it. Most notably, I recall being rushed to the ER after a young horse I was riding bucked me off at speed in an open field, where I fell face-first onto the ground. I wound up with a severe concussion, hysterical parents and a CT scan of my brain. There were no lasting effects that I am aware of. I was one of the lucky ones.

I was young and fearless, to an extent, so I never really questioned the overall lack of helmet use. In fact, the only time I was ever required to wear a helmet in my youth was when I attended a local horse camp.

Older and, arguably, wiser

Fast-forward to present day, when I would call myself a true helmet advocate. Maybe it’s because I ride English now, because the barn I ride at requires helmet usage or because I’m older and have a heightened sense of my own fragility. Perhaps it simply boils down to being better-educated. Either way, I can honestly say I feel far more confident about my personal safety each time I mount up, knowing I have the proper protection for the most precious part of my body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), horseback riding is the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among sports-related recreational activities (TBIs occur when an external force injures the brain). The CDC also reports that an estimated 1.7 million Americans sustain a TBI each year. A brain injury can happen to anyone at any given time; it does not discriminate. And one brain injury is all it takes to potentially cause permanent damage to your reflexes and attention, among other serious issues.

Experience won’t protect you

Only an estimated 20 percent of equestrians wear protective headgear every time they ride. Excuses run the gamut, from concerns about messing up riders’ hair to being very experienced and therefore having no need for a helmet. I don’t know about you, but I’m far more concerned with messing up my brain than my hair. Additionally, more experience in the saddle directly correlates to an increased likelihood of suffering from a riding-related injury. Top-level professional riders (Silva Martin and Courtney King-Dye are probably the most notable recent examples) have suffered TBIs from horse-related accidents. Ultimately, the level of rider has nothing to do with the risk when it comes to these types of injuries. Risk is directly tied to cumulative riding time rather than level of expertise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are currently 1 billion people living on Earth who have some type of brain injury. Millions live with lasting physical and/or emotional effects. Lifetime costs for an acute head injury are in the multi-million-dollar range, and the injured party is not the only one impacted. Families are faced with an uphill climb to aid in rehabilitation and often feel they’ve lost the person they once knew. The effects are truly devastating.

Horses: predictably unpredictable

It sounds like we should perhaps consider giving up this hobby, right? After all, it’s been proven time and again that horseback riding is one of the most dangerous sports out there. However, I certainly wouldn’t suggest giving up something that so many of us are so deeply passionate about. I think we are all well-aware of the inherent risks associated with equestrian sport. Despite this, I think we can all benefit from taking at least some general precautions:

1. Wear an American Society for Testing and Materials/Safety Equipment Institute (ASTM/SEI) Certified helmet. These can be purchased for as little as USD$25.
2. Make sure your helmet fits properly! This is very important, as an ill-fitting helmet will not properly protect your head in a fall. The brim should sit about an inch above your eyebrows and be level across. You should feel even pressure around your head. The chin strap should be tight but comfortable.
3. Do not wear helmets made for other sports. Riding helmets are made specifically to withstand a fall from a considerable height or a blow from a hoof.
4. Always replace your helmet after a fall, even if you don’t see any visible damage. It will not be as effective at protecting you in future if it has sustained a fall.
5. Replace your helmet at least every five years (sooner if you ride often). Much like your favorite pair of riding breeches, your helmet will get worn out with prolonged use.

Can TBIs happen even when you are wearing a helmet? Certainly. Grand Prix dressage rider Silva Martin is living proof. She suffered a brain bleed in March of 2014 after the horse she was riding tripped, causing her to hit her head on his neck before falling to the ground. Nonetheless, she credits her helmet with saving her life that day, and she has now become an outspoken advocate of helmet use.

Consider this: The average riding horse weighs 1,100 pounds and can travel at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Horses are flight animals, which means they can — and almost certainly will — spook at trivial things. Even the calmest, most “bomb-proof” of horses have their moments of insecurity. It comes naturally. And when you consider that a rider is perched at a substantial distance from the ground when in the saddle, it is unsurprising that head injuries are so common.

But I believe we can do something about that. Let’s all “mind our melons,” wear our helmets every time we ride and do our part to make TBIs in equestrian sport a far smaller statistic.

I would like to learn more about equine-related topics.

Tom:                            Paul Groenewegen is the director of innovation and nutrition at Masterfeeds, Inc., an Alltech company. He’s joining us for a look into the question: more pigs, more problems? Thanks for joining us.

Paul:                            Thanks for having me.

Tom:                            What would you identify as the current big disruptor in the swine industry?

Paul:                            The big disruptor right now is keeping as many piglets alive as possible and getting them to market quickly. Our genetics companies have done an incredibly good job at allowing us to have prolific animals. Sows can now have lots of baby pigs. The key is how we get those pigs to market and how we make sure those pigs are of the best quality for consumers.

Tom:                            What does increased pork production mean for the global industry in 2017?

Paul:                            Increased pork production means a greater supply of high-quality protein in the form of bacon, ham, sausage — anything you can get from a pig — for an ever-increasing population and a more affluent society.

Tom:                            Are more piglets per sow sustainable?

Paul:                            Absolutely. When I started in the industry 30 years ago, if you could wean 20 pigs per sow per year, you were doing an excellent job. You were an industry leader.

                                    Now, if we look at countries like Denmark, their industry average of pigs per sow is in the mid-30s. Suddenly you’re producing 50 to 60 percent more pigs per sow per year than were produced a mere 30 years ago. So, that is extremely sustainable. Where the end is, we’re not quite sure. As of right now, it’s very sustainable, and it is an industry necessity to continue producing more and more pigs per sow per year.

Tom:                            What are the consequences of more piglets per litter?

Paul:                            Variability. One of the largest challenges we have in animal agriculture today is variability of animals within a group. So, if you have 16 to 18 piglets in a litter, you’re going to have ranges in weight from 500 grams to about 1.5 kilograms. The average may be 1.1 kilograms to 1.2 kilograms, but you have some very small pigs.

            The real challenge is not only from the survival perspective of those piglets, but also how we allow those piglets to survive and make it to market economically.

                                    We are also concerned with how the piglets are raised in utero, making sure that muscle fiber development is ideal for product quality when they go to market.  

Tom:                            How do producers find a balance between quantity and quality?

Paul:                            It’s a fine balance. As management and nutrition have continued to improve along with genetics, producers are learning ways to increase the number of piglets weaned per sow per year. They are always driving for more piglets, obviously, but the key is management, housing, sanitation and the health of these animals. Improving on those attributes is key to allowing those piglets to survive.

Tom:                            Why is weaning such a critical time?

Paul:                            Well, it’s a critical time because you’re going to change the diet of the baby pig from a milk-based diet to a dry feed-based diet. And there are big implications on the gut of the pig and the gastrointestinal tract. We get villous atrophy. We get different things happening as feed intake drops.

                                    It’s a whole social order as well. So, you have 12 to 14 piglets in a litter. Everyone knows one another. They get weaned. They get taken to a facility where all of a sudden they could be with 30 or 40 others. They’re mixed by size because it helps from a production perspective. So, there’s a whole new social order that’s required.

                                    Mom is no longer there. It’s a fact of life. And they have to learn to eat out of a feeder. They have to learn to drink out of a water bowl. They have to learn to do things differently, and that’s why it’s such a huge challenge for these pigs. In some cases, they’re trucked a long way. In the old-fashioned farrow to finish operation, you would run the piglets down the hallway to the nursery. Now, you put them on a truck and you may truck them one or two hours to the barn. That’s a huge stress on those pigs. But, from a nutrition management, health and welfare perspective, farmers are doing an excellent job to make sure all those pigs survive and do the best they can.

Tom:                            What should producers be paying attention to during this critical time?

Paul:                            I would say one of the most critical things is making sure mom is looked after. Everything that you want the piglet to receive comes through mom in the first three to four weeks of life, before weaning. Make sure the sow’s nutrition program is fully implemented and that the sow can transfer trace elements like selenium to the baby pig, which they really require around weaning time.

                                    Make sure technologies in the feed increase immunoglobulins in the colostrum. As litter size increases, we want mom to produce more colostrum so that all piglets get the same amount and quality. Start with how the sow is treated, from gestation to lactation, to give the piglet the absolute best start. Look after the other details once they get to the nursery.

Tom:                            What lessons can we learn from human infant formulas for pork feed formulas?

Paul:                            That’s a great question because pigs have been used as a model for human infants for years. In fact, I worked with a university professor who spent his whole career using baby pigs as models for human infant formula development. As we enhance human infant formulas and look at technologies such as different types of structural carbohydrates or DHA and selenium, we can learn from those formulations and apply them to baby pigs.

                                    We want the diet that piglets receive after weaning to deliver nutrients in the most bioavailable form, enhance gut development and overall performance, and to increase survivability.

Tom:                            You’ve brought up colostrum. How do we ensure for piglets that they receive an adequate supply?

Paul:                            There are on-farm techniques that can be used such as split-suckling, analyzing litter size and the duration of farrowing time. Obviously, the first pig born has a better opportunity for receiving colostrum than the last pig born. But, there are management techniques that ensure each piglet gets the same amount of time with mom to access as much colostrum as they can.

                                    Also, technology can be used in sow feed to enhance colostrum production. Research shows that by using some Alltech technologies, we can increase colostrum production and also increase immunoglobulin concentration of that colostrum. We’re ensuring that even in bigger litters, all piglets are getting the same amount of higher-quality colostrum, which leads to increased survivability and increased weaning weights.

                                    Pigs never overcome a bad start. If we can get the baby pig off to a good start with colostrum via the mother sow, then we’re off to the races!

Tom:                            What is lactoferrin, and why is it important?

Paul:                            Lactoferrin is a protein that’s required for iron absorption and gut development within the baby pig. It’s one of the proteins found in milk.

                                    New research shows that when lactoferrin is available in the post-weaning diet, it continues to enhance gastrointestinal function. When you enhance gastrointestinal function and development, the baby pig will absorb more nutrients of high-quality feed.  

Tom:                            What about DHA?

Paul:                            Again, since baby pigs are used as models for humans and vice-versa, we know that human infants and baby pigs both require DHA for overall health. DHA enhances the function and development of central nervous system tissues and promotes the general welfare of pigs.

Tom:                            We’ve talked about colostrum. We’ve talked about lactoferrin. We’ve talked about DHA. What about nucleotides? Why are they important?

Paul:                            Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA. We know that the baby animal already produces some nucleotides. But to support fast-growing intestinal cells, we should also provide nucleotides.

                                    As intestinal tissue grows very rapidly in a young animal, we need to supply enough nucleotides to build the DNA, to build the tissue, to build a more functional gastrointestinal track so that the pigs can absorb more nutrients from their diet.

Tom:                            What would you say is the ideal starter diet for piglets?

Paul:                            The ideal starter diet is high in digestibility, contains functional proteins and contains nutrients like nucleotides and glutamic acid, which is the primary energy source of the developing enterocyte. We want to make sure we support gut development as quickly as possible. We’re looking for diets with highly palatable ingredients and diets that contain other functional nutrients like lactoferrin to drive absorption and the development of the gastrointestinal tract.

                                    An overall ideal diet should improve intake and digestibility while reducing nutritional inadequacies and disorders.  

Tom:                            Given everything that you’ve just discussed, can producers continue to decrease production cost without affecting performance?

Paul:                            To a point, I believe we can. As we increase pigs per sow per year, our cost per piglet weaned will go down. You’re going to spend more money to have a better sow diet, but your overall cost of production per sow or per piglet weaned per sow will go down.

                                    Then, as we enhance the starter diets post-weaning, we are going to improve nutrient absorption. It becomes a cycle: As we provide functional nutrients in a diet to drive gut development, that enhanced, developed gastrointestinal tract then absorbs more nutrients out of the diet.

                                    Subsequently, we know that the faster a pig starts post-weaning, the faster they go to market. That will reduce cost of production overall.

Tom:                            Based upon that, as the global population increases and as parts of the world such as India and Africa enter the middle-class, how are we going to meet the increased demand for pork? You’ve addressed efficiency. Are there other ways to meet that demand?

Paul:                            When you think about it, there are approximately 100 million sows globally. If a sow has two litters per year and we save just one pig per litter from dying of inadequate nutrition, we’re talking about 200 million more pigs available to consumers.

                                    By enhancing nutrition to allow for increased survivability of piglets, those 2 million additional pigs provide high-quality protein to the ever-growing population.

Tom:                            Bringing this home and considering all the aspects of the life cycle of a pig, how do these changes affect the average consumer’s kitchen table?

Paul:                            What we’re going to have is high-quality pork raised with the utmost humanity at a very affordable rate for our consumers.

Tom:                            Are there any other trends, any other things that we should be paying attention to in the swine industry?

Paul:                            I think the big trend to focus on is the advancement of nutrition, management and genetics. We have to make sure nutrition management keeps up with the ever-changing acceleration of genetics. By utilizing technologies like we’ve discussed today, we’ll provide the nutrients required by faster-growing, more efficient pigs and continue to produce that high-quality protein that the consumer demands.

Tom:                            Paul Groenewegen, director of innovation and nutrition at Masterfeeds, Inc., an Alltech company. Thanks for joining us.

Paul:                            Thank you.

Paul Groenewegen spoke at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17). To hear more talks from the conference, sign up for the Alltech Idea Lab.

It was “all hands on deck” on a recent Friday afternoon in the atrium at Alltech Corporate Headquarters in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Founder and president Dr. Pearse Lyons gathered staff for a soft launch of the company’s selenium-based yeast product AT-001, and to talk about research indicating its promise as a supplement to maintain cognitive function and brain health.

In his remarks to the assembled Alltech staff, Dr. Lyons noted that the turning point had come about over 10 years ago when Alltech’s own nutrigenomic research indicated that its product Sel-Plex®, when fed to animals, was observed to favorably alter the activity of certain biological pathways that, according to scientific literature, are associated with several serious human illnesses, Alzheimer’s prominent among them.

Alzheimer’s is an irreversible degeneration of the brain that robs its victims of memory, cognition and personality, and eventually leads to death. Some 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer's disease will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to the website UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The cost is enormous and getting worse. Total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are projected to increase from $259 billion in 2017 to more than $1 trillion in 2050, according to the BrightFocus Foundation.

The late Dr. William Markesbery, founding director of the renowned Sanders-Brown Center on Aging at the University of Kentucky, had taken a keen interest in Sel-Plex.

“This is something we have to work on,” Dr. Lyons recalls him saying.

In 2009, Dr. Markesbery published the results of a study in which Sel-Plex was fed to a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and significantly reduced the levels of amyloid plaques relative to groups of the same mice fed a normal diet.

It is known that the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer’s include the formation of amyloid plaques, abnormal clusters of protein fragments that build up between nerve cells in the brain, and tangles of dead and dying nerve cells made up of twisted strands of another protein called tau.

Dr. Ronan Power, vice president of Alltech Life Sciences, recalled Dr. Markesbery’s excitement.

“He said, ‘Hey, you guys have something here. Look at these results. I mean, this is extraordinary. This is a dramatic reduction in amyloid burden in these animals, and I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. We really need to pursue this.’”

Soon after, Dr. Power began that pursuit, working with researchers such as Dr. Mark Lovell at the Sanders-Brown Center.

“When we saw that this material might have an effect on pathways associated with Alzheimer’s disease, we went to the Food and Drug Administration and showed them what we had,” he said. “And they said, ‘Okay. You’ve got enough safety data here from registering Sel-Plex as an animal feed additive. We’ll allow you to do a Phase 1 trial.’”

The Phase 1 trial examined safety by providing AT-001 to healthy, elderly human volunteers, while others in a control group received a placebo. All were monitored closely for any adverse effects.

“We did that, and it came through with flying colors,” said Lovell. “We actually administered increasing doses of the material up to 800 milligrams per day, which is far in excess of the recommended daily allowance for selenium. And we saw no adverse effects whatsoever.”

Additional measurements revealed that, in volunteers receiving the AT-001, markers of inflammation decreased dramatically.

“Inflammation is one of the processes that’s thought to run in parallel with the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammation may well exacerbate dementia progression as well,” said Power.

There was more.

Spinal fluid was drawn from the volunteer patients.

“The spinal fluid is the same fluid that surrounds and bathes your brain,” explained Power. “It’s kind of a closed circuit. You can take a sample of spinal fluid, but you can’t exactly go into the brain and take a sample because that would be ultra-invasive.

“So, looking at the spinal fluid and monitoring the level of amyloid protein, which can form the brain plaques that I was talking about — when we looked at the levels of amyloid protein in these volunteers at the start and at the finish, we saw that in the people receiving AT-001, the levels didn’t fluctuate at all,” he continued. “They were basically the same at the start as they were at the end. In the people receiving the sugar pill, we saw that the levels had dropped significantly.”

Puzzled by these results, Dr. Power turned for answers to Dr. Gregory Jicha, the chief clinician and professor at the University of Kentucky’s, National Institute on Aging-funded Alzheimer’s disease center.

“I said to Greg Jicha, ‘Well, heck, this is a bust, because this shows that the people who were getting the sugar pill actually did better because they have reduced levels of amyloid protein in their spinal fluid.’ And he said, ‘No, no. You’re wrong. If it’s reduced in the spinal fluid, you have to ask yourself, where has it gone? So, more than likely it's gone into the brain and formed clumps. Right?"

Reductions in amyloid levels in spinal fluid can be an indication that the amyloid has migrated into the brain and has clumped or “aggregated” into plaques, thus the decrease noted in spinal fluid. The unchanged levels of amyloid protein in the spinal fluid from the volunteers taking AT-001, on the other hand, potentially indicated that they had fewer amyloids migrating to the brain.

The Alltech-Sanders-Brown team, led by Dr. Jicha and Dr. Ronan Murphy at Sanders-Brown, now has a Phase 2 trial of AT-001 underway involving 60 volunteers.

“These are patients who are still healthy, but who may be at increased risk of eventually developing Alzheimer’s disease either because their parent(s) had Alzheimer’s disease or because they carry ApoE4, the only genetic marker that’s recognized to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jicha.

There will be a repeat of the spinal fluid measurement, and, this time, brain imaging is being employed. The researchers are looking at differences between those treated with AT-001 versus those on a placebo.

“We’re looking at inflammatory markers in the brain and Alzheimer’s protein levels in the spinal fluid, the latter being one of the early signals that we got in our Phase 1 study. Those proteins continued to show trends consistent with moving toward advanced aging and increased risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s, and in the treated subjects, we saw that process slowed tremendously. So, now we’re looking to see if in a large population this is really true.”

Alltech researchers are working to determine what is responsible for the cell death and tissue loss noted in the Alzheimer's brain.

“We are trying to maintain the health of that part of the cell that becomes dysfunctional and sets off the cascade of events that eventually ends up in those structures (plaques and tangles) being formed, which in turn lead to brain decay, neurodegeneration and death,” said Dr. Power.

Most of the current pipeline treatments for Alzheimer’s focus on antibodies targeted to the structures that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, those amyloid plaques and the tangles, he explained.

“You’re going to see a number of these pharmaceuticals coming onto the market, but they are going to treat the symptoms rather than the cause,” said Dr. Power. “I feel that the best chance is to try to track this disease back to the point at which it starts and try to nip it in the bud. Better yet, if you can help the situation with simple nutritional supplements rather than pharmaceuticals, that has got to be a good thing.”

What about the federal regulatory obstacles in place to ensure that substances marketed to the public are as safe as their manufacturers claim? Dr. Jicha recalled when General Mills ran afoul with the FDA over a claim for one its top-selling breakfast cereals.

“Cheerios was advertising that it would reduce your cholesterol and prevent heart attack and stroke,” he said. “Well, that automatically makes Cheerios a drug that needs to be regulated by the FDA, and perhaps your doctor might have to write you a prescription for your next bowl of Cheerios. So, we do need to be cautious about that as well.”

Jicha cautioned against overstating implications.

“The human studies that we have done to date have not focused on patients with Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “We’re focusing on patients with risk for Alzheimer’s disease. And so, one should not confuse AT-001 with a medicine. This is not to treat a particular disease. This is a supplement to augment health and perhaps bolster resistance toward processes that could potentially lead to a variety of diseases in the future.”

Dr. Power clarified the distinction.

“AT-001 is a yeast product, and so, essentially, it is a plant or, as the supplement/nutraceutical industry would call it, a botanical,” said Dr. Power.

A suitable analogy, he noted, might be cinchona tree bark and quinine, or foxglove and digitalis. Cinchona bark extract was used as a remedy for malaria as far back as the 1600s, but the active ingredient, quinine (a drug), was not identified until the 1800s. Likewise, foxglove extract was used for heart conditions in the 1700s, but digitalis, the active drug ingredient, was not isolated until 100 years later.

“Based on the track record of other potential Alzheimer's treatments, waiting to register the active substance as a drug could take at least another eight years, many millions of dollars and no guarantees of approval.”

But, said Dr. Power, "Releasing AT-001 as a supplement allows people to perhaps get some of the benefits."

Ultimately, however, if supported by clinical trials, the goal is to develop a single, pure compound that has been isolated from the scores of compounds present in the parent preparation, AT-001. Designated AT-002, this single compound has “very obvious effects on Alzheimer’s disease progression, based on studies in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Power. “If AT-002 makes it on to the market, it will be much more potent than AT-001 because it is the pure, concentrated active principle. And, we (or whoever brings it forward) will hopefully have the human data to make direct claims about its effect on Alzheimer’s disease.”

In the meantime, the company is making the AT-001 supplement available through its Alltech Life Sciences division with a commitment to reinvest all net proceeds from its sale into programs to research and develop new products for human health applications.

The Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre recently opened its doors following extensive investment to establish it as a “global hub of excellence for aqua research.”

The center is ideally located for aquaculture research in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, which has a rich aquaculture history. It was there that, at the beginning of the 20th century, two Dutch entrepreneurs, the mayor of Valkenswaard and Baron van Tuyll van Serooskerken, began to build ponds specifically for fish farming. These ponds mostly contained carp. A few decades later, a company called Heidemij (later Arcadis) began producing fish there, and during the 1940s, other fish were introduced specifically for the growing angling market in the Netherlands.

During the 1950s, the Organization for the Improvement of Inland Fisheries (OVB) produced fish in Valkenswaard for the purposes of restocking inland waters in the Netherlands. After OVB discontinued their efforts in 2002, Valkenswaard returned to commercial aquaculture activities with the production of ornamental fish by Viskweekcentrum Valkenswaard BV and research and development carried out by the Coppens Research Centre.

Valkenswaard so thoroughly established itself as an aquaculture center that it even has a species of carp named in its honor! De Valkenswaardse spiegelkarper, or the Valkenswaard mirror carp, has scales resembling small mirrors and can grow to be more than 60 pounds.

For more than a century, Valkenswaard has been central to Dutch aquaculture. Now, the new Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre sets the stage for Valkenswaard to take on a new and even more global role in shaping the future of modern aquaculture.

You may be wondering, “When is the right time to begin building healthy soil?” While this answer may surprise you, the right time is always now. Whether you are choosing the seeds for your next crop or have just finished harvesting your fields, planning your sustainable soil management strategies should always be top of mind. 

Through seasons of use, soils can become depleted of nutrients and organic matter. If left unattended, this will lead to a decrease in yields for the grower. Additionally, soil depletion is not a phenomenon that is limited to the farmer; the home grower and gardener can face the same issues in their own front or backyards. 

Proactive growers work for their soil to ensure that it works for them.

Healthy soil — which is soil that has a high organic matter content, a balanced structure and high nutrient availability — provides an excellent basis for plants. It can decrease the amount of inputs that a grower needs to use, since many of the nutritional requirements of the crops will already be supplied through the soil. This increased nutrient availability can also help plants to develop stronger roots and become naturally more resistant to environmental stressors. 

The four tips included below will help increase your soil health in a sustainable way and will lead to noticeable improvements for years to come. 

Increase soil organic matter

Between all the animals (like worms and insects) and the millions of microbes that make their homes in the ground, healthy soil is teeming with life. Each of these creatures plays a role in nutrient cycling, which is the process of breaking down crop residue, such as corn stubble, and degrading it into organic matter in the soil. Once the breakdown process is complete, the nutrients then become available for use by the plants. When plants use the nutrients that are available in the soil, growers can begin using more specific additives and fertilizers instead of deploying widespread “just in case” spraying. 

Minimize tillage

Tilling can damage the soil environment and should only be used to improve problem areas, including where the soil is compacted or where drainage issues are heavily impacting the fields. Tilling can also increase the number of weeds in a field by bringing them to the surface, where they can germinate and grow. These weeds will compete with the intended crop for nutrients and take over precious field space, potentially decreasing crop yields.

Keep the surface of the soil covered

Using cover crops has become increasingly popular, and for good reason. Not only do cover crops offer another opportunity for growers to improve their soil makeup, since their use increases the availability of nutrients like nitrogen in the soil, but they also significantly reduce the likelihood of soil erosion. When fields are kept uncovered after harvest and during the winter, they become susceptible to erosion from wind and rain, which leaves the grower a step behind in building a healthy foundation for springtime crops.

Rotate crops

The type and amount of nutrients used by different crops will vary depending on which crop is being grown. Different crops also will increase the availability of different nutrients, which can be used by the crops that follow. Crop rotation also plays a part in preventing soil erosion. Not only does the field remain covered, but as each crop’s roots grow to varying lengths, they will hold onto the soil at different depths throughout the seasons, maintaining stability against heavier rains and winds.

While these steps are great ways to improve your soil and ensure that it will continue to be the hardworking first step toward producing a healthy plant and a profitable yield, their results can be maximized when combined with other management tools. Soil testing throughout your fields, for instance, will help you pinpoint areas of concern. Field scouting during the growing season will help the grower catch any areas where there might be a nutrient deficiency or disease pressure before the problem becomes widespread and requires more intervention. By combining all the tools at their disposal, growers can give crops the best possible foundation for seasons to come in a proactive and sustainable way.

Want to learn more? Sign up for Top Crop, our newsletter full of information on sustainable management practices, grower stories from around the world and news from Alltech Crop Science.

[VALKENSWAARD, the Netherlands] – The Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre officially opened its doors today following extensive refurbishment. The innovation centre will be a leading international aquatic research facility focused on excellence in feed solutions for aqua producers around the world.

The centre received more than €600,000 in investment and will be home to an expanded team of aqua researchers dedicated to quality, innovation and the development of new applications in aqua feed. The new facility will boost Alltech and Coppens International’s aqua research capabilities whilst continuing to provide a practical platform for product development and solutions to meet the challenges of modern aqua producers. This demonstrates the long-term commitment from Alltech and Coppens International to the aquaculture industry.

According to the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, the aquaculture industry experienced a 12 percent increase in feed production in 2016, reaching 39.9 million metric tons. Coppens International expects this uptick to continue, and this trend underlines the importance of investment in aqua technologies, according to Patrick Charlton, CEO of Coppens International.

“The centre will further develop our already strong aqua research programmes and allow us to significantly increase the amount and type of aqua innovation we embark upon,” said Charlton.

Coppens International is already collaborating with Guabi, a leading fish feed producer in Brazil. Guabi, a 43-year veteran in the animal feed business, entered into a strategic partnership with Alltech earlier this year. Alltech is linking the two leading aquaculture feed producers from opposite sides of the world together to accelerate solutions for the aquaculture industry and demonstrate the company’s commitment to developing a global aqua nutrition offering.

“The Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre will enable Coppens International to become a global hub of excellence for aqua research,” continued Charlton. “To date, our research centre has enabled us to achieve global recognition for our recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), and the refurbishment will allow us to continue to build upon this and to expand our work into different species, such as saltwater fish.”

As the company intensifies its R&D efforts, works are already in place to increase manufacturing. Coppens’ feed production facility in Nettetal, Germany, is currently undergoing expansion work and is set to open in early 2018.

One of Coppens International’s primary objectives is to replace fish oil DHA with algae. Over the course of the last 12 months, Coppens International has progressively replaced the fish oil source of DHA in its diets with Alltech’s innovative, DHA-rich algae technology, ForPlus®. The inclusion of ForPlus allows for a fully traceable, sustainable source of DHA omega-3 and a fish oil replacement. Neo Green, a high-quality, sustainable trout feed, is one of the many new products developed to provide customers with a sustainable alternative to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals as well as functional additives to support fish health and performance.

Coppens International achieved compliance with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council in 2016, a confirmation of its reputation as an innovative, high-quality aqua feed producer for almost a quarter of a century. With a strong production infrastructure in the heart of Europe, Coppens International’s specialties include temperate and tropical marine and freshwater diets for a variety of juvenile and adult species, as well as top-quality ornamental, specialty and bait feeds, which are distributed to more than 60 countries. Coppens International is also ISO 22.000, ISO 50.001 and Global GAP certified.

To find out more about Coppens International’s innovative range of aquatic feeds optimised with algae, visit www.coppens.com.

The Alltech Young Scientist program offers a fully funded Ph.D. position for the undergraduate winner and a postdoctoral position for the graduate winner.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Entering its 13th year, the Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) program is considered one of the world’s most prestigious agriscience competitions for university students. AYS has discovered some of the best and brightest upcoming researchers from universities around the world, and applications are now open for rising agri-scientists who wish to take part in the 2018 competition.

Undergraduate and graduate applicants will compete first within their home regions of North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific or Europe/Africa. Regional winners will be invited to attend an all-expense-paid Alltech Young Scientist Discovery Week in Lexington, Kentucky, where they will compete in the global competition during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE18), which will be held May 20–23, 2018. The prizes include a fully funded Ph.D. position and $5,000 USD for the global undergraduate winner and a fully funded postdoctoral position and $10,000 USD for the global graduate winner.

“Lifelong learning is a core value within Alltech and we are proud to invest in young, bright minds through our Alltech Young Scientist program,” said Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives and engagement at Alltech. “It provides a global stage for students to present their research and have the opportunity to further their education and join the Alltech team.”

Registration is currently open for the 2018 competition and will close on Oct. 31, 2017. Students must be nominated by a professor in order to participate and may submit scientific papers on topics such as animal health and nutrition, crop science, agriculture analytical methods, food chain safety and traceability, human health and nutrition and other agriscience-related sectors. Paper submission may be completed online through Dec. 31, 2017, and regional winners will be announced in March 2018.

For more information and to register for the Alltech Young Scientist program, visit AlltechYoungScientist.com and stay connected through the Alltech Education Facebook page.

Every producer knows that when a beef cow is healthy, her calf has a much better chance of being healthy, too. Trace mineral nutrition is key for maintaining healthy cattle at all life stages. Colostrum quality, calf weight and immune function are among the many benefits from supplementing organic trace minerals in cattle. A study done in 2017 at the University of Florida and published in The Professional Animal Scientist evaluated the response of 160 Angus (AN) and Brangus (BN) cows and their calves to inorganic (ING) or organic (ORG) trace mineral sources.

About the study

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the difference in performance and benefits provided by feeding organic trace minerals versus inorganic trace minerals to cattle on pasture. Beef cows supplemented with organic trace minerals received cobalt, copper, manganese and zinc in the form of Bioplex^® and selenium in the form of Sel-Plex^®. Beef cows supplemented with inorganic trace mineral products received them as sulfates and sodium selenite, respectively.

The level of mineral supplementation also varied between treatment groups:

• In the pelleted feed, the organic trace mineral treatment included 25% less copper, 13% less manganese and 29% less zinc compared to the inorganic trace mineral treatment.
• In the free-choice mineral, the organic trace mineral treatment included 45% less copper, 32% less manganese and 46% less zinc than the inorganic trace mineral treatment.

The best mineral strategy for cattle is one that fits within the producer’s operation, based on their animal requirements and budget and the benefits provided from that mineral product. Organic trace minerals, such as Bioplex and Sel-Plex, are more bioavailable and, as a result, can be added at much lower inclusion rates than the traditional inorganic sources, which not only benefits the environment but, ultimately, the health, well-being, reproductive performance and growth of the animals as well.

Effects of trace mineral source on colostrum

The University of Florida trial revealed that colostrum from lactating cows supplemented with organic trace mineral supplement sources contained 29% more immunoglobulin M (IgM mg/dL) antibodies compared to cows supplemented with inorganic trace minerals (P= 0.07). Cows supplemented with the organic trace mineral sources Bioplex and Sel-Plex also demonstrated significantly higher levels of selenium measured in colostrum —and Angus cows specifically had twice as much selenium compared to their inorganic counterparts (P ≤ 0.001).

The study results also showed that the somatic cell counts (SCC) of the colostrum from Angus cows fed organic trace minerals were 67% lower than the SCC of the colostrum from cows fed inorganic trace minerals. Additionally, Brangus cows fed organic trace minerals had 14.6% lower SCC compared to cows fed inorganic trace minerals.

Effects of maternal mineral nutrition on calf weight and antibody levels

As the study progressed, the researchers at the University of Florida observed that calves from cows fed the organic trace mineral sources (Bioplex and Sel-Plex) showed a statistically significant increase in their average daily gains, weaning weights and 205-day adjusted body weights compared to calves fed inorganic trace mineral sources (P ≤ 0.01).

Calves from cows who were supplemented with Bioplex- and Sel-Plex- had 205-day adjusted body weights that were, on average, 22 pounds heavier compared to the weights of calves from cows that were provided with inorganic sources (P ≤ 0.01). Specifically, Angus calves supplemented with Bioplex and Sel-Plex minerals were 33 pounds heavier (205-day adjusted weaning weights) compared to calves from Angus cows supplemented with inorganic trace mineral sources.

The researchers also measured immunoglobulin levels and found that the immunoglobulin A (IgA mg/dL) antibody measurements for calves from cows supplemented with organic trace minerals Bioplex and Sel-Plex demonstrated a statistically significant (40.5%) increase in calf serum 24 hours after colostrum consumption compared to calves from cows provided with inorganic trace mineral sources (P = 0.04).

Bioplex^® offers a range of trace minerals that provide mineral nutrition in a form as close to nature as possible. Bioplex minerals are trace minerals that are bound to amino acids and a range of peptides. They are easily absorbed and readily metabolized, optimizing animal performance. Bioplex trace minerals (including zinc, manganese, copper, iron and cobalt*) are co-factors in the enzymes that are critical for the animal’s defense system, growth and reproduction. Learn more about Bioplex here.

Sel-Plex^® is Alltech’s proprietary organic form of selenium yeast. It is an excellent dietary source of selenium and is manufactured to mimic the selenium found in nature. The selenium in Sel-Plex is safer and better able to meet the higher requirements of livestock raised for rapid growth, reproductive performance and health. Learn more about Sel-Plex here.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my beef cattle.

ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17) in Lexington, Kentucky. With this being my fourth year in attendance, one might believe I’ve become a master at preparing for the event. Quite the opposite. Dr. Pearse Lyons, the mastermind behind Alltech, is intricately involved in all events. His mind is a constant place of creativeness, innovation and disruption. I’ve yet to experience an event that did not bypass my expectations. The best method of preparation is to enter with an open mind.

This year’s event challenged my open mind. It provoked my ideals and basic cognitive thinking. The concept of keeping agriculture real has been at the forefront of my life. In theory, the ideas presented at ONE17 were sound. I couldn’t help but wonder if some were feasible, practical and, well, real.

One such discussion centered around the grocery stores of tomorrow, or lack thereof. It is estimated that grocery stores as we know them today will soon become “daycare for the elderly.” One statistic went as far as to say box stores will be eliminated by 2028. Despite supporting research conducted by the United States Department of Labor through Willard Bishop, LLC., to say there was skepticism on my mind is an understatement. The research showed fewer Americans are buying food at grocery stores, especially younger consumers, leading to grocers becoming obsolete.

In theory, there may be truth in these statements; however, I wasn’t buying it.

Practically versus concept:

1. Observation: I know a handful of decision-makers who have begun ordering groceries online. Regardless, the bulk of our family and friends continue to be drawn to the likes of Walmart or Target.
2. Personal application: Living in a rural area, fresh produce isn’t available for shipping. Online shopping won’t be saving me fuel dollars until this service is offered. When I compare prices of Aldi to Amazon, my best buy is Aldi’s.
3. Technical hindrances: There are both delivery and pickup methods offered by Walmart. In concept, my expectation was a great service. Eventually, they may hit the target. However, from my experience, numerous bugs need to be worked out. After spending hours trying to input my list, I ended up driving 30 minutes to purchase my items in person.
4. Lack of convenience: Shipping and picking up groceries each come with a major shortcoming — today’s society needs an experience that is fast, convenient and easy. Anyone can enter a physical store without a list and walk out with $300 in items. Online ordering requires the time and patience to enter grocery items in an app or other device.

As these thoughts bounced through my mind, the presenter unexpectedly met my skepticism with additional points. I wasn’t yet committed to making a sale; however, I was listening.

Outside of online ordering, I was surprised to learn of the additional types of applications that are currently being applied and tested with real consumers:

1. Amazon Go (unmanned store): Jackpot. No more worrying about ending up in the “talkers” check-out or being stuck in the line that never ends. In contrast, I couldn’t help but wonder if risk management challenges existed. What are the shoplifting rates?
2. Egg vending machines: This portion of the presentation ended with the mention of Asian vending machines for eggs, fruits and perishables, a real-time service that has become as common as phone booths once were. While traveling, I have noted an increase in the variety of vending machines. During a San Francisco Uber ride, my husband and I struck up a conversation with the driver. Our moonlighting Uber driver held a daytime gig designing vending machines for perishable foods. The current project was a concept-phase fresh fruit, smoothie machine.

The older my mind becomes, the greater my stubbornness grows. I left ONE17 with the conclusion that while these concepts of the future sound dreamy, they won’t be practical nor will they replace big box stores.

Ding-dong. Two weeks following ONE17, I realized my conclusion, potentially, had some issues. In early June, Amazon announced its intention to purchase Whole Foods for $13.7 billion...in cash. I was quickly transported to last year during the holiday season. The historic holiday season set precedent, moving more sales transactions online than in the stores. The powerful retailer has the secret to closing big box stores, and it’s called Amazon Prime. It’s estimated that in the U.S., 60 million people are Prime members, and who tends to spend more on Amazon? Those Primers.

The “cha-ching” sound was echoing through my now open mind as I gave in to my stubbornness and acknowledged: big box stores may really become “assisted living” for our elderly, a place for social activity rather than a commerce center.

Calf care is key to the profitability and longevity of a herd. When it comes to attention to detail and calf health management, there are few better than White Rock Farms in Peachland, North Carolina.

Owned and operated by Roddy Purser, White Rock Farms of Peachland, North Carolina, includes a 600-head Jersey dairy farm, hog houses and a layer operation. An innovative first-generation dairyman, Roddy saw opportunity in the dairy industry, and he knew that the secret to success was putting together a capable team equipped with both passion for the industry and the knowledge to build a successful herd.

Dakota Sparks is one of those team members. She is in charge when it comes to managing calves at White Rock Farms.

Drew Gibson and Dakota Sparks, herd managers at White Rock Farms

Dakota has helped White Rock Farms to maintain a less than 1 percent death loss on the farm since the beginning in 2014. She attributes this astounding success to four key elements: an employee dedicated to calves, cleanliness, a prevention approach and no cutting corners.

How White Rock Farms has kept their calf death loss to less than 1% since 2014

1. An employee dedicated to calves

Dedicating an employee to calves can be difficult for many farms, but as a farm grows, it becomes even more important.

Dakota is the manager of White Rock Farms’ calf area, a responsibility she takes very seriously. Feeding

calves twice a day starts with the White Rock Farms’ team removing water buckets and replacing them with milk buckets. This gives employees the opportunity to check calves while emptying, cleaning and refreshing water. These opportunities to observe calves are important for identifying any illnesses or abnormalities, so Dakota and her team devote their full attention to the task.

2. Cleanliness

Once utilized, every hutch is cleaned. All sand and gravel are removed, and the hutch is kept vacant for one to two weeks.

Once ready for a new resident, Dakota’s team utilizes a layer of black cloth at the bottom to keep the sand from falling through and then adds new gravel. This attention to detail reduces disease transmission from one calf to another, giving newborn calves the best possible opportunity for a healthy start. Not only are the hutches cleaned and sanitized after each calf, but calf buckets are sanitized after each feeding.

After the calves are fed milk, their buckets are cleaned in a three-stage process:

1. The first water bath includes 125°F water with soap.
2. The second bath contains 145°F water with soap.
3. The third and final bath holds cold, chlorinated water.

Buckets are then stacked to air dry before the next feeding.

3. Prevention approach

Antibiotics are used only in instances of severe illness, but are rarely needed, according to Dakota. By taking a preventative approach, the need for therapeutic treatment is minimized.

White Rock Farms pasteurizes all colostrum and milk that is fed to calves and frequently utilizes electrolytes in water to help give calves a little boost. Dakota remarks that, when used properly, there can be substantial cost savings to pasteurizing milk for calves, especially once the cost of the pasteurizer is recouped (which occurred in two years for White Rock Farms).

4. No cutting corners

All colostrum is tested. This test is to identify the quality of the colostrum based on IgG antibody levels in the milk. If it meets the requirements, it is then used, refrigerated or frozen if not utilized within 24 hours. The frozen containers are organized and marked with the necessary information to enable easy retrieval of bags.

Roddy is confident the extra investments are worthwhile, as evidenced by heifers that are outperforming their mothers. With a solid foundation of nutrition, their calves have a healthy jumpstart on reaching breeding age with minimal illness.

White Rock Farms is a customer of CPC Commodities, based in Cowpens, South Carolina and is currently feeding the following Alltech products: Select GH®, Yea-Sacc®, Integral® A+, Bioplex® Hi-Four, Optigen® and Sel-Plex®