Ag Future: Innovation in Agri-Food

Just how different are pigs today compared to twenty years ago? Dr. Tom Rathje, chief technical officer at DNA Genetics LLC, discusses his work with advanced technology in the swine industry and how commercial swine genetics has and continues to increase sow productivity and improve litter size.

Are you looking to improve the efficiency of your cattle? Studies have shown that organic trace minerals outperform inorganic minerals when it comes to cows and their calves. Dr. Anne Koontz, Alltech research scientist, discusses the benefits that organic trace mineral supplements can provide to the calf immune system and average daily gains, as well as how they affect cow fertility and reproductive efficiency in cattle.

Better lighting, nutrition and air quality can greatly contribute to alleviating many of the health issues we commonly witness in poultry production. How can we implement these modern poultry housing system enhancements across the industry to improve the quality of the birds in a sustainable way that also conserves energy? Dr. Brian Fairchild, poultry scientist at the University of Georgia, discusses housing designs and current marketing trends in broiler house management.

What does it take to build a healthy, synthetic salmon gut? When it comes to fish nutrition, a lifetime of health and performance can be greatly influenced by the early stages of the gut microbes. Dr. Martin Llewellyn and Raminta Kazlauskaite of the University of Glasgow are creating new ways to improve sustainable fish feed and drug stability for salmon aquaculture farming with SalmoSim.

With new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning expanding into all industries, agriculture has an opportunity to become more efficient. TERRA NutriTech, an Ireland-based startup, is using these technologies to eliminate waste and ensure accurate mineral delivery through water systems to boost farmer’s profits by reducing labor.

As consumer demand for antibiotic-free beef increases, we must consider the possibility of a future without antibiotics. What role does nutrition play in responsible antibiotic use and efficacy? Should we be more concerned about antimicrobial resistance in animals? Dr. Brian Lubbers, director of clinical microbiology at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Library, shares his perspective on the future of antibiotic use and the challenges producers are facing.

David Cleary, director of global agriculture at The Nature Conservancy, discusses the institution's three main sustainability goals: to reduce deforestation, increase soil health and promote water conservation. Learn what these three goals mean for climate change, habitat conservation, regenerative agriculture and the recent fires in the Amazon.

To improve profitability and meet consumer demands, farmers need to manage dairy cow comfort as well as intakes, body temperature, stress levels and additional aspects for each cow. Without precision dairy monitoring and real-time data, this is nearly impossible. Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Alltech's dairy housing and analytics specialist, shares where technologies like robotic milking and sensors come into play.

As climate change becomes a larger issue, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finding ways to sequester carbon in farm and food production is more important than ever. Robynne Anderson discusses her experience providing businesses with sustainable solutions as president of Emerging Ag, the international consulting firm for agriculture.

While farmers spend billions of dollars each year in crop inputs, many are missing biomarkers that can cost them up to 30% in total value. The ag-tech startup Biome Makers is using new technologies like DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence in agriculture to improve soil health and crop production on-farm. How healthy is the microbial activity of your soil?