[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 aqua production. From consumer demand for sustainable, healthy farmed fish to the potential of seaweed, ONE17 will provide real-life solutions for aqua producers.

“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. “The aqua production focus session will provide practical solutions that position aqua producers to meet consumer demands, sustainability requirements and profitability objectives.”

ONE17 aquaculture focus session

• Simpler Salmon: Is there an easier way to combat the sticky issue of sea lice?
• Back to the Basics: Consumers want a sustainable, healthy farmed fish without fish oil or fish meal, but they still want the health benefits that come from a normal fish diet, specifically DHA omega-3. Can we solve the fish oil and fish meal problem?
• Seaweed's Enormous Potential: Discover the potential of one of nature's original foods, from iodine to fiber and beyond.
• Total Sustainability, Total Traceability: Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) not only reduce water use, but maintain water quality and reduce ammonia toxicity.
• The Faroe Islands: A Small Group, but a Great Disruptor:. Faroe Islanders are successfully delivering what consumers want in their fish: the right color, the right taste and the right DHA levels. They also produce their fish with minimum water requirements. Do the Faroe Islands offer a model for the future?

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

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 crop science. From soil nutrient management to citrus greening prevention, ONE17 will give growers 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. “That disruption, however, needs to deliver on the bottom line.”

ONE17 crop science focus session

• The Microalgae Opportunity: What innovative uses do microalgae hold for the farm?
• Florida Fights Back: Under threat from citrus greening disease, learn how Florida’s citrus industry is deploying defenses to survive, from innovative microbial solutions to antibiotics for trees and beyond.
• New Ideas in Sustainability: Biofungicides, biostimulants, gene activators, induced resistance, living seed treatments: What do these innovations have to offer an industry that has come so far with synthetic chemicals?
• Organic Farming: Exploring the advantages of organic disruption, and how major retailers are becoming disruptors of demand in the supply chain.
• Our Biggest Little Allies: Find out how new discoveries could make microbes, our tiny partners, even more significant to our future and the health of plants, animals and people.
• Disruption in Washington: What can we expect from the new leadership landscape? How could the food chain and global trade be disrupted?

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

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 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.

[MANKATO, Minn.] — Ridley Inc. operating divisions, Hubbard Feeds, a leading provider of researched-based, animal nutrition products, and Ridley Block Operations, a recognized leader in the block supplement market, have teamed together to provide livestock feed relief to fire-stricken cattle producers and ranchers in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

More than 1,500 square miles of agricultural grazing land burned in early March, amid a series of devastating wildfires. Thousands of cattle perished and countless homes, buildings and fences were destroyed, as wind-swept flames scorched pastures, turning generations of hard work and dreams into ash. In several cases, ranchers died trying to save livestock.

To support these cattle producers and ranchers, Hubbard Feeds and Ridley Block Operations are donating Range Cubes, CRYSTALYX® products, dry feed calf pellets and milk replacer to producers in each of the four affected states. Also, they are working with transportation companies who are donating delivery of product from several of Ridley’s U.S. manufacturing facilities.

“Hubbard Feeds and Ridley Block Operations stand united in helping the many beef cattle producers who were so significantly impacted by the loss of their herds, grazing land and structures in these tragic fires,” said Kevin Levi, president of Ridley’s U.S. Feed Operations.

“The unyielding spirit of these ranchers has inspired us. They reinforce our pride in the agricultural community, and we’re proud to support them,” said Mark Nelson, president of Ridley Block Operations (RBO).

[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 beef production. From case studies on increasing carcass weight to profitable feeding strategies, ONE17 will give beef 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. “We also understand the importance of balancing innovation against the bottom line. Our beef production focus session will challenge producers and ranchers to think differently about their operations, from the cow-calf pen to the feedlot.”

ONE17 beef focus session

• Argentine Beef: In the Land of the Gaucho: Argentina’s meat consumption rates are among the highest in the world, and their grass-fed animals have become world-renowned. Learn from their practices as well as their signature restaurant, The Gaucho.

• BioBarrel®: Providing Nutrition Without Pollution or Residues: The BioBarrel’s “ice cream cone” design saves water and maximizes efficiency.

• The SuKarne Model: The Reinvention of Subtropical Beef Production: A fully integrated operation, SuKarne has maintained compound annual growth of 20 percent for two decades. What makes Mexico’s largest beef producer and exporter so successful?

• Breaking the Mold: Better Meat, Better Profit: See how a two-year experiment with the world’s largest privately owned feedlot company, Cactus Feeders, disproves the notion that cattle have reached maximum efficiency and can’t increase carcass weight.

• A Head-in-the-Sand Approach: “Major polluters, massive water consumers, antibiotic-laden” — or are they? Learn how one company has pioneered bringing a unique, traceable and healthy beef product to the global marketplace.

• Regenerative Grazing: The Next Disruptor: Can manure from grazing cattle be a natural fertilizer for crop land? Is this a revolution or a little-told story?

• 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 beef focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/beef.

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 dairy farmers. From working through government regulations to discussing the dairy operation of the future, ONE17 will give farmers 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. “The dairy production focus session will drive dairy farmers to discover practical and profitable approaches that ensure the future of their farm.”

ONE17 dairy focus session

• The Kerrygold Story: Disrupting a commodity, making it taste different and involving the farmer: How has its status as an industry disruptor enabled Kerrygold to become a leader in butter commodities?

• The Internet of Things and the Nespresso Model: Building a Unique Service for the Dairy Farm: Could your operation benefit from communicating real-time data information to a team of nutritionists? What about meeting the daily nutrition needs of your herd via a special pod for your mixer?

• A Door-to-Door Story: What can the dairy industry learn from the success of the Pennsylvania Amish?

• The Dairy Disruptor: A case study featuring how new needs prompted ingenuity in Saudi Arabia.

• The Dairy Farm of the Future: Are robotics the disruptors of the dairy industry?

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

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

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

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – The Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland, was accredited in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 from Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. This objective, third-party assessment distinguishes the managerial and technical requirements of the lab and ensures the accuracy and impartiality of analytical results.

The European Alltech 37+ mycotoxin laboratory, which opened in April 2016, is the third of its kind for Alltech, which has two similar laboratories in the U.S. and China. The proprietary 37+ LC/MS/MS analytical method, developed by Alltech, is included in the scope of accreditation. This analytical method is state-of-the-art in its detection and quantisation of more than 37 mycotoxins at parts per billion (ppb) and parts per trillion (ppt) levels.

“This accreditation sets the bar in global mycotoxin investigation and reaffirms our customers’ confidence in the precise, accurate and thorough testing of the Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis programme,” said Steve Mobley, manager of the European Alltech 37+ mycotoxin laboratory.

“Our diagnostic approach allows us to further investigate livestock and poultry health issues, study global mycotoxin trends and develop comprehensive, customised mycotoxin management programmes for our customers,” continued Mobley.

Led by Dr. Emma Daniels, senior analytical chemist and laboratory coordinator, the Alltech European 37+ laboratory provides much-needed, high-throughput mycotoxin profiling services to accelerate the detection process while saving time and money for European farmers and food producers.

Run in conjunction with the Alltech® Mycotoxin Management programme, Alltech continues to collate a powerful database, which recognises mycotoxin issues throughout the world. To date, Alltech’s mycotoxin laboratories have analysed more than 14,000 samples since opening its first dedicated facility in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, in 2012.

Research carried out on mycotoxin samples analysed in January and February in North American silages showed evidence of type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid. Although type B trichothecenes are still a prevalent mycotoxin group found in silages that can damage the health and productivity of animals, recently, there has been increase in the number of cases of type A trichothecenes and other Penicillium mycotoxins. In Europe, type B trichothecenes are still common among silages, but there is also a high risk from the other Penicillium mycotoxins, which occurred in 45 percent of samples at an average of 1,533 ppb.

For further information on the Alltech Mycotoxin Management programme, please visit www.knowmycotoxins.com.

[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.

[WASHINGTON D.C.] – An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, has today presented Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) prestigious ‘St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal’ to Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech, and Prof. Adrian E. Raftery, professor of statistics and sociology at the University of Washington, for their significant contribution to academia and industry.

Now in its fourth year, the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal recognises the outstanding contributions of Dr. Pearse Lyons and Prof. Adrian Raftery in their respective fields, as well as their role in developing the research ecosystem in Ireland. The Medal is awarded annually to a distinguished Irish scientist, engineer or technology leader living and working in the USA.

Congratulating the recipients at an award event held in the United States Institute of Peace in Washington D.C., An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD, said: “I am delighted to present the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal on behalf of Science Foundation Ireland, to these two exceptional leaders. Dr. Lyons and Prof. Raftery have both had a huge impact in their own areas of expertise and played pivotal roles in the development of researchers in Ireland.”

“They have demonstrated how academic and industry-based scientific research can create jobs, tackle global problems and impact positively on people and society. These distinguished Medal recipients are driving globally significant innovation in the areas of agriculture, food production, health, and population and weather forecasting, to name just a few.”

Dundalk-born biochemist and entrepreneur, Dr. Pearse Lyons, is the first Irish scientist to have created a global business based on scientific research. With the aim of creating the next ‘green revolution’ to improve the health and performance of people, animals and plants, Dr. Lyons founded Alltech, in 1980 with just $10,000 in capital.

He has subsequently led the company to now trade in over 120 countries worldwide with more than 5,000 team members. Dr. Lyons and his team at Alltech remain committed to innovation and development, with three Alltech biosciences centres dedicated to research and education - two located in the U.S. and one in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland.

Dublin-born Prof. Adrian E. Raftery has been described by his peers as one of the most eminent statisticians in the world. His work has resulted in the development of new statistical methods, focusing particularly on the social, environmental and health sciences. Prof. Raftery’s work to quantify statistical uncertainty in demographic projections has fundamentally changed approaches to population forecasting. This was demonstrated by the United Nations recently publishing a recalculation of world population projections, which directly incorporated Prof. Raftery’s work.

Prof. Raftery has been a leader in developing new Bayesian statistical methods for model selection and model averaging, as well as model-based clustering. He has also worked on studies that have fundamentally changed the understanding of whaling populations, the prevalence of HIV/Aids and weather forecasting.

At the event in Washington, D.C., Dr. Lyons said:

“I am so proud to accept the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Medal from Science Foundation Ireland. While my business is global, my passion for biochemistry and entrepreneurship started at home in Ireland. As a company, we still have very close links to Ireland with one of our three biosciences research centres based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath. Science and technology play a very important part in my company’s success and all of the Alltech team work to innovate every day. We strive to put scientific research at the core of our business and to use that research to drive our success at home and abroad.”

“Almost 100 students have graduated with their Masters and Ph.D.s from our Alltech facilities in Ireland, in cooperation with virtually every Irish university, providing a platform that was once described by the European Commissioner of Food and Safety as a ‘Primacy in Science’.”

On accepting his SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal, Professor Raftery said:

“I developed my passion for statistics during my time at St. Conleth’s College in Dublin and at Trinity College Dublin. Statistics is vital to science, including the social sciences, and it is progressing rapidly with the current growth in big data and data science. I'm proud to have contributed to the development of statistics at University College Dublin in recent years. Statistics in Ireland has been developing fast and this will provide a competitive advantage for Irish science and industry. I'm grateful to SFI for supporting my visit to Ireland in 2013-14 as a SFI Walton Fellow, which galvanised several successful collaborations with UCD, TCD and the Central Bank of Ireland. The continued support for this and other research programmes, even during the economic crisis, shows that there is a broad consensus in Ireland for supporting scientific research, which bodes well for the future of the country. I am very honoured to receive the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal.”

Congratulating the recipients, Prof. Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said:

“The Irish scientific and technology diaspora are outstanding representatives for Irish science abroad and play a huge role in promoting Ireland internationally. The research undertaken by these two Irish leaders has had a profound and diverse impact across the globe. As a nation, we should be immensely proud of the influence that Dr. Lyons and Prof. Raftery have had in their respective fields and indeed, across the globe. In presenting them both with the SFI St. Patrick’s Day Science Medal, Science Foundation Ireland recognises the significant value and impact of their work.”

About Science Foundation Ireland:

Science Foundation Ireland funds oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) which promotes and assists the development and competitiveness of industry, enterprise and employment in Ireland. The Foundation also promotes and supports the study of, and engagement with STEM and promotes an awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and in particular to the growth of the economy.  See www.ScienceFoundationIreland.ie.

Science Foundation Ireland has launched the #BelieveInScience campaign to promote the potential that science and discovery offer Ireland, today and in tomorrow’s world. The #BelieveInScience campaign will see Science Foundation Ireland work in partnership with the Irish research community to share a mutual passion for science with the public; to promote an understanding of the ability of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to create positive change in the world and to drive a sustainable economy in Ireland.