[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Dairy producers strive for long-term production and productivity with their herd, right from the start, and the pre-weaning growth of a dairy calf is a good indicator. While diarrhoea is one of the most common antagonists in issues with poor digestion and weight gain in calves, supplementing with Bio-Mos® has been shown to enhance performance and improve gut health.

A recent meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Anna Catharina Berge of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA concluded that Bio-Mos® supplementation in milk or milk replacer increased daily weight gain in dairy calves. These trials revealed, on average, 0.14 pounds improved weight gain per head per day in pre-weaned dairy calves, which corresponded to 8.37 pounds increased weight for calves weaned at two months of age. The long-term improved performance in heifers with improved pre-weaning growth would be equivalent to 220 pounds more milk in the first lactation, generating additional farm income, and improving gut health and digestive function.

“The results are a significant improvement in average daily weight gain,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts at Alltech. “This improvement leads to greater returns for the producer through enhanced milk production, health and development, and long-term productivity.”

The meta-analysis included 23 cohort studies performed in the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, Peru, Poland, Spain, and Turkey between 1993 and 2012. Bio-Mos was supplemented at 2–10 grams per day, with an average inclusion of 3.8 grams per day. Twenty-one of the studies reported an increase in daily weight gain for calves fed Bio-Mos in milk or milk replacer compared to control calves.

For more information on Bio-Mos, visit http://go.alltech.com/bio-mos.

[DUBLIN, Ireland.] – Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech is proud to announce that Professor Gerald Byrne, chairman of KEENAN innovation and R&D board, received the Fraunhofer Thaler Award. The award is in recognition of Byrne’s outstanding leadership and significant achievements in the field of applied research.

Established in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the leading research and technology organisation for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 69 institutes and research units at locations across Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft conducts research in collaboration with research partners and innovative companies around the world and KEENAN is proud to congratulate Byrne on his recent award.

“We are absolutely delighted to congratulate Professor Byrne for his outstanding contributions to research,” said Robert Walker, KEENAN CEO. “We recognised Professor Byrne’s unique leadership and innovative thinking when asking him to chair the KEENAN Innovation and R&D board. The KEENAN team is dedicated to bringing the latest innovations and technologies to farmers around the world and it gives us great pride that the first Irish person to receive this award from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is on our team.”

Byrne was appointed as chairman of the KEENAN innovation and R&D board in February of this year to ensure KEENAN continues to be an innovator in the farm machinery sector. Byrne spent five years as dean of engineering at University College Dublin (UCD) and now focuses on streamlining production, fast-tracking efficiency and optimising plant configuration at KEENAN’s headquarters and main manufacturing facility at Borris, County Carlow, Ireland. Among Byrne’s many other credentials are his honorary professorship at Tianjin University in China, being the first and only Irish member of the International Academy for Production Engineering and a membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

[DUBLIN, Ireland] – Alltech Ireland has long been a leader in both the Irish and European agriculture industry. Located in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, it became the first Alltech office to be established in mainland Europe in 1981 and serves today as Alltech’s European headquarters and Bioscience Centre. Last week its research team celebrated being awarded the Agricultural Laboratory of the Year by the Irish Laboratory Awards, the benchmark for those demonstrating excellence, best practice and innovation within Ireland’s lab industry.

Richard Murphy, director of research at Alltech, praised his dedicated team members on achieving such recognition.

“At Alltech, we strive for success,” said Murphy. “Our innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies deliver for our customers and farmers and so this award is a tremendous achievement for us as a research team.

“We are very thankful to the Irish Laboratory Awards as they celebrate not only science but also innovation and leadership, all of which are very highly regarded by our team here at Alltech. We would like to dedicate this award to not only the Irish Alltech team but also to our customers who are the inspiration for our work.”

Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre serves as Alltech’s pivotal research centre in Europe. The research work carried out at the centre specialises in cellular biotechnology, and the team of 20 scientists based in Dunboyne have developed unique insights into specific focus areas such as yeast cell wall architecture, trace element chelation, bio-marker detection and microbial population dynamics. This work has resulted in the development of new solutions, services and analytical tools that improve producers' profitability and efficiency

“We have approximately 20 full-time scientists on-site in Dunboyne,” said Murphy. “We are very proud of our highly educated team and close links with Irish universities. The majority of the team have earned their Ph.D. or master’s degree with Alltech. Since redevelopment work in 2013, the team at Alltech are very lucky to work in labs of exceptional quality and standard thanks to Mrs. Deirdre Lyons, Alltech’s director of corporate image and design, who is responsible for designing our labs to provide a state-of-the-art platform that enables young scientists to work with Alltech's expert team of biochemists, microbiologists and nutritionists.”

Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre is one of three major bioscience centres around the world and each centre has its own focus. The centres are complemented by more than 20 research alliances with leading universities globally. Alltech’s research team are responsible for over 500 patents awarded to Alltech globally.

[DUBLIN, Ireland] – As fossil fuels deplete at astounding rates, biogas production is fast becoming an alternative source of economic and renewable energy. Alltech’s new product, DIGEST P3, improves the profitability of anaerobic digestion by optimising biogas productivity. DIGEST P3 is an enzyme complex produced by the breakdown of organic matter through a process called solid state fermentation, with production similar to that of yeast fermentation. Since Alltech has nearly 40 years’ experience in the fermentation of yeast for both the animal health and brewing industries, biogas fermentation is a logical next chapter for the company. Through mastery of solid state fermentation techniques, Alltech can produce enzymes economically and pass this cost savings along to customers.

“This is exciting. This is why I love what I do,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “We have taken our expertise and decades of knowledge in fermentation and applied them to the development of DIGEST P3. Remember, efficiency on the farm is what we are experts in. Alltech is all about adding value and efficiency and bringing sustainable solutions to market. Dealing with waste, while at the same time producing renewable energy, is simply another way we are using innovative and ground-breaking technologies to solve our customers’ issues.”

DIGEST P3 works with methane-generating microflora to help break down feedstock components previously inaccessible through digestion. This enhanced feed breakdown allows for more readily available energy and protein for the microflora, resulting in additional biogas volumes from the same amount of feed input. DIGEST P3 allows for flexibility in feedstock formulation through the inclusion of byproducts and alternative raw materials.

“We are working with customers to optimise the flexibility offered by this technology,” said Niall Brennan, biogas project manager at Alltech. “We are seeing some customers reduce their feedstock inputs and maintain their gas outputs. It is very encouraging to see the range of benefits DIGEST P3 offers Alltech customers.”

Alltech has just completed a research trial with Harper Adams University in England to identify optimum performance-enhancing additives. The trial was run utilising DIGEST P3 in commercial plants across Europe. In the trial, DIGEST P3’s additional feed breakdown led to increased biogas production, reduced feed costs, reduced power consumption and uplifts in operating profit.

“Since implementing DIGEST P3, many of our customers have witnessed significant improvement in substrate efficiency,” said Brennan. “This allows our customers to decrease the amount of substrates they input each day, yet maintain a consistent energy output.”

For more information on DIGEST P3, please visit go.alltech.com/digest-p3 and stay connected through Twitter and Facebook.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, is certain to inspire and motivate producers and agribusiness leaders, but more importantly, it will prepare them for the future. The three-day conference will bring together industry experts from across the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within agriculture.

To provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage in disruption, ONE17 will include various tracks, including a focus session specifically dedicated to swine production. From topics covering nutrient delivery systems and remodeling pig barns to quantity versus quality efficiencies and global pork consumption, ONE17 will give pork producers real-life solutions.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in agriculture to be inspired to harness disruption,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “However, we also want to provide producers with practical and profitable solutions for their day-to-day business. The swine focus session will drive pork producers to think differently about how they operate.”

ONE17 swine focus session

• More Pigs, More Problems: Are more piglets sustainable? Where is the balance between quantity and quality?

• Antibiotic Regulations: What have we learned? The U.S. Veterinary Feed Directive has disrupted the pork industry this year. Can nutrition be the new front line of defense?

• Time to Remodel? What innovations can take your operation to the next level?

• Hydro Oasis: Could smart water and nutrient delivery systems simplify your operation or create complications?

• The Ultimate Pig Starter: How can simple new methods disrupt long-standing conventions and help us achieve better results?

• Why Not Disrupt? Could the United States meet China’s growing appetite for safe, traceable pork?

• Disruption in Washington: What can we expect from the new leadership landscape? How could the food chain and global trade be disrupted?

• The Biologist’s Toolbox: Precise gene editing technologies are the newest tool in the biologist’s toolbox, but are we pushing ethical limits?

For more information on the ONE17 swine focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/pig.

Register before April 1 to save $300 on your passport to innovative ideas at ONE17.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, is certain to inspire and motivate producers and agribusiness leaders, but more importantly, it will prepare them for the future. The three-day conference will bring together industry experts from across the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within agriculture.

To provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage in disruption, ONE17 will include various tracks, including a focus session specifically dedicated to poultry production. From topics covering in ovo techniques and the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome modification to the effects of backyard farming and consumer meat preferences, ONE17 will give poultry producers real-life solutions.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in agriculture to be inspired to harness disruption,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “For poultry producers, however, we understand that innovation must be practical and profitable. Our poultry focus session will facilitate open discussions about what’s ahead for the poultry industry and will drive the disruptive thinking that could determine long-term success.”

ONE17 poultry focus session

• In Ovo: Counting your chickens before they hatch? Could in ovo techniques be the next disruption in the poultry industry, and what benefits could they deliver to the consumer?
• Chickens by Design: What implications does CRISPR/Cas9 have for the world’s preferred protein?
• Slow-Grown Disruption: Is the slow-growth movement a disruption? Is it sustainable?
• Chickens and Eggs: Two growing markets have emerged: backyard farming and large-scale consolidation. What are the opportunities?
• Disruption in Washington: What can we expect from the new leadership landscape? How could the food chain and global trade be disrupted?
• The Biologist’s Toolbox: Precise gene editing technologies are the newest tool in the biologist’s toolbox, but are we pushing ethical limits?

For more information on the ONE17 poultry focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/poultry.

Register before April 1 to save $300 on your passport to innovative ideas at ONE17.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The outlook for aquaculture, the fastest-growing sector in the feed industry, is strong. Yet, challenges loom as aquaculture producers find themselves dealing with pressures on all sides. They face a limited supply of fish oil from overfished oceans. Meanwhile, increasing consumer demand for more sustainable seafood is causing ripples in the supply chain.

It is at this pivotal tipping point where a new collaboration is seeking to provide sustainable aquaculture nutrition solutions.

Coppens International, an innovative Dutch aquatic feed and nutrition company that joined Alltech in 2016, will be 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, and now Alltech is linking the two leading aquaculture feed producers from opposite sides of the ocean together to accelerate solutions for the aquaculture industry.

“The opportunities between Coppens, Guabi and Alltech are exciting,” said Paulo Rigolin, strategic director for Alltech. “You have leaders in two different regions — Latin America and Europe — combining technology and expertise from more than 20 years of working in aquaculture. This strength is underpinned by Alltech, a leader in numerous agricultural sectors, including aquaculture.”

Guabi and Coppens have already begun discussing new opportunities, and it is expected that algae technology will be a significant focus.

“It’s a great opportunity to further apply new technologies to maximize performance for aquaculture species, but more importantly to bring profitability to producers and the highest quality products to consumers,” said Rigolin.

Guabi has a particular expertise in extruded feeds and unique solutions for a wide variety of aquaculture species, from shrimp to native South America freshwater fish. In addition to a range of feeds incorporating Alltech’s sustainable alternatives to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals, Coppens specializes in nutrition for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and recently announced a major $1 million expansion of their research center in the Netherlands.

“The new Coppens Research Centre will enable us to do more relevant studies and, more importantly, work with more species than previously whilst also providing a training centre for our staff around the world and customers alike,” said Anno Galema, managing director for Coppens.

Coppens and Guabi will share information on formulations, manufacturing techniques, and raw material and ingredient utilization.

“These are two leading companies in aquaculture feeds, each with unique local expertise,” said Patrick Charlton, CEO of Coppens. “We are very optimistic about what we might deliver to our customers through a collaborative approach to the pressing issues aquaculture faces.”

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.

“We have seen aquaculture as key to our global growth for many years now, and the work with Coppens and Guabi allows us to be able to provide our customers with feeds incorporating the Alltech technologies that we believe are most critical to improving health and performance,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Through these relationships and our shared commitment to innovative research, we believe we are well-equipped to provide our customers with a level of support and expertise that is unrivaled in our industry.”

This expertise is reinforced through a series of research alliances with several universities and a research institute, all of which have focused on examining the impact of Alltech’s algae solutions in a variety of species:

Alltech-Kochi University Research Alliance (Japan) in Japanese yellowtail

Alltech-Ocean University of China Research Alliance (China) in turbot and shrimp

Alltech-Federal University of Santa Catarina Research Alliance (Brazil) in tilapia

Alltech-Kentucky State University Research Alliance (U.S.) in largemouth bass and shrimp

Alltech-Nofima Research Alliance (Norway) in Atlantic salmon

The research alliances’ findings to date have observed that Alltech’s All-G Rich™ could replace fish oil in the diets of marine, freshwater and salmonid species while maintaining performance and DHA levels in the fillet.

According to Dr. Lyons, the aquaculture industry should expect a long-term commitment from Alltech.

“We are already looking to add one or two more complementary partners to our aquaculture program,” said Dr. Lyons.

For information on Alltech’s innovative and sustainable solutions for aquaculture nutrition, visit www.alltech.com/aquaculture.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, released today, estimates that international feed tonnage has exceeded 1 billion metric tons for the first time. That’s a 3.7 percent increase over last year and represents 19 percent growth since the inaugural survey in 2012, despite a 7 percent decrease in the number of feed mills.

The sixth annual survey is the most comprehensive ever, now covering 141 countries and more than 30,000 feed mills. The results show that the U.S. and China are the top two countries, producing one-third of all animal feed, and that predominant growth came from the beef, pig and aquaculture feed sectors as well as several African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

“This year clearly demonstrates the growing efficiency and consolidation of the feed industry,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts for Alltech. “Not only has total feed production exceeded 1 billion tons for the first time, but it has done so with fewer facilities, which means greater efficiencies and a decreased environmental footprint.”

The Alltech Global Feed Survey assesses compound feed production and prices through information collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations. It is intended to serve as an information resource for policymakers, decision makers and industry stakeholders.

This year’s survey showed that the top 30 countries, ranked by production output, are home to 82 percent of the world’s feed mills and produce 86 percent of the world’s total feed. The top 10 feed-producing countries in 2016, in order of production output importance, were China, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, India, Russia, Germany, Japan and France. These countries contain 56 percent of the world’s feed mills and account for 60 percent of total production.

Regional results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey

· North America: North America feed production remains relatively flat. However, the region continues to lead other regions in feed production for beef, turkey, pet and equine.

· Latin America: Brazil remained the leader in feed production, while Mexico saw the highest growth in tonnage, now accounting for more than 20 percent of Latin America’s total feed production but still only almost half of Brazil’s total production. Overall, Latin America has moderate feed prices, but Brazil’s have increased this year. When compared to the U.S., Brazil’s feed prices are 20 percent higher for pigs and 40 percent higher for layers and breeders.

· Europe: For the first time in several years, the European Union saw feed tonnage growth. The region was led by Spain with 31.9 million tons produced in 2016, up 8 percent. Decreases came from Germany, France, Turkey and the Netherlands.

· Asia: China remained the top feed-producing country with 187.20 million metric tons, while increased production for the Asian region also came from Vietnam, Pakistan, India and Japan. Vietnam in particular grew 21 percent over the past year and moved into the top 15 countries list for the first time, specifically led by increased production of pig and broiler feed. Asia continues to be one of the most expensive locations in the world to raise animals, as Japan’s feed prices are some of the highest in the world and China’s prices are double that of most of the top 10 producing countries.

· Africa: Africa had the fastest regional growth for the fifth year in a row, with more than half of the countries achieving growth. Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Kenya and Zambia each showed significant growth that was greater than 30 percent. The region still lags in terms of feed per capita but shows continued opportunity for growth. Africa also has some of the highest finishing prices of any region, as Nigeria and Cameroon both rank in the top five countries.

“Overall feed prices are down, and therefore food production costs are down,” said Connolly. “From a global perspective, we estimate the value of the feed industry at $460 billion.”

Notable species results from the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey

· The poultry industry represented 44 percent of the total global feed production, a slight decrease from last year. This could be a result of avian influenza, industry consolidation and more efficient feed conversion.

· Positive growth was observed in pig feed production, particularly in Asia as Vietnam and Thailand are now top 10 pig-producing countries. China represents over a quarter of the world’s pig feed production, but sow numbers have decreased by almost 40 percent over the past three years.

· Global dairy feed production remained flat, while the U.S. and India reinforced their position as the top two producers with increases of 12 and 14 percent, respectively, whereas Europe saw a downturn. Turkey decreased by 1.5 million tons and Germany declined by 3.4 million tons.

· The U.S. maintained the top position in the beef industry, and estimated feed production was 10 percent higher than last year. China, Spain, Turkey and Mexico all showed increased beef feed production.

· Aquaculture continued its year-over-year growth with a gain of 12 percent in feed production in 2016. Increased production from Turkey, Germany, the U.K. and France contributed to a strong performance from the European region. Africa increased production by almost 1 million metric tons, while Asia maintained its volume. The increase in aquaculture feed correlates to the consumption of farmed fish.

· The 2016 survey was able to gather more pet sector data than previous years, allowing for more information to be captured on the size and scale of the market. The U.S. remained number one, while Europe and Asia also showed growth. France’s estimates were increased by 1 million metric tons, although this reflects more accurate data collection rather than a production increase over 2016. The U.K., Spain, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia and China also experienced growth.

“The Alltech Global Feed Survey provides valuable information and an annual pulse check on the feed industry as we look toward sustainably feeding a growing population,” said Connolly. “The survey continues to improve and provide more robust and reliable data.”

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – In an effort to improve soil quality and environmental protection in China, various key players from soil, fertilizer and livestock industries formed the Soil and Fertilizer Alliance of China (SFAC) in February 2016.

Alltech, guided by its founding ACE principle of positively benefiting the animal, the consumer and the environment, has joined the SFAC. Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech’s global vice president and head of Greater China, has been named SFAC vice president.

“Alltech and the SFAC share a common goal to integrate livestock feeding and crop planting industries more efficiently and to work together toward a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Lyons.

The SFAC aims to fulfil the needs and promote the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture. It strives to improve the quality of Chinese soil and contribute to food security and modern agricultural development while being ecologically sustainable. Alltech is one of the top five animal health companies in the world, with a growing crop science business sector.

The Chinese government has put an increasing focus on the environment in recent years, with a particularly close look at agricultural practices. While traditional concerns such as proximity to water and large populations, as well as biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand levels, have been cited as reasons for farm closures, issues related to high levels of minerals and soil quality impact factors are now being examined. The Environmental Tax Law was approved at the end of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting in December 2016, and minerals (e.g., copper and zinc) and heavy metal (e.g., arsenic) are listed in the Environmental Tax Law for scale livestock farms. Alltech’s proprietary mineral technology Bioplex® is being utilized in China to reduce levels of minerals and other polluting materials in manure, thus reducing environmental impact.

“Alltech has solutions to help livestock farms reduce pollution in animal manure, compost manure to a higher quality of organic fertilizer, and improve crop and animal health and performance by adding nutritional value more naturally through our research-based technologies,” said Dr. Lyons.

Alltech China is hosting an environmental meeting from March 7–9. The event will focus on overcoming environmental challenges and finding opportunities in the new green economy. For more information or to attend the meeting, contact Apple Zhang, marketing manager for Alltech China (azhang@alltech.com).

According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, a record $6.5 billion in agricultural cash receipts was reached for Kentucky in 2014. Yet, while wheat is a staple for Kentucky farmers, profitability remains challenging.

Alltech Crop Science has conducted trials on 82 crops in 34 countries, but they also believe in working with local universities to provide cutting-edge technology for the state’s grain crops.  The challenges faced with wheat in particular represented an opportunity for research to deliver practical solutions. Therefore, Chelsea Jacobson, Alltech Crop Science research coordinator, recently conducted a nearly yearlong trial in partnership with the University of Kentucky to study the effect of amino acids on soft red winter wheat production.

The research focused on the foliar application of nitrogen (25–75 percent protein) in the form of amino acids at two key stages:

1. Late tillering (Feekes Growth Scale 3–4)
2. Early boot (Feekes 7–9)

The timing of the first application was important for several reasons, said Jacobson.

“Tillering begins in fall and will not be complete until early spring,” she said. “Head size is determined during this stage, as well as the number of spikelets per spike.”

Both of these play a key role in grain yield.

It’s important for producers to take measures to improve yield before Feekes 5, Jacobson noted, as the wheat plants emerge from the cold period of weather. The second application, at early boot stage, is just as critical.

“It’s important to protect the flag leaf from disease and other stressors during this time,” added Jacobson. “This supports grain fill and is crucial to high yield.”

The study showed a numerical increase in grain yield and test weight for the treated wheat compared to the control, reported Jacobson. One amino acid treatment showed a yield advantage of 4 bushels per acre.

Another benefit was a numerical decrease in grain moisture at maturity.

“This can help farmers get into their fields quicker and get their crops harvested,” noted Jacobson.  

Organic nitrogen delivered to the plant in the form of amino acids provides a source of organic carbon to encourage soil microbial populations.

“Plants must synthesize their own amino acids,” reported Jacobson. “This technology can ultimately reduce the plant’s workload and allow for an optimized uptake of plant nutrients.”  

Alltech’s unique fermentation technology provided a nutrient-dense application. Products in the company’s nutrition portfolio have a consistent profile of 18–20 amino acids.

“Through proper nutrition, plants can reach their maximum genetic potential,” said Jacobson.  

While yield and return on investment are key to today’s commodity prices, natural nutrition can in many cases also help farmers reduce the need for synthetic inputs.

“It’s all about keeping plants healthy and taking a more natural, bioavailable approach,” concluded Jacobson. “Farmers are looking for alternatives to synthetic chemistry. This new research shows the benefits of amino acid technology.”

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