According to PIC, genetic improvement for all companies revolves around four key principles – large and diverse populations, measuring what you want to improve, using the best science, and selection relevant to the market.
“At PIC, we deliver excellence in all of these key buckets in addition to a pipeline of R&D on emerging technologies,” said Craig Lewis, PIC’s commercial director for the UK, Ireland, Poland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states.
Diverse populations
There is no one-size-fits-all in pig genetics. “Different systems have different needs, so to only have one sow or one sire assumes a stable industry – and we know markets change or different environments have different requirements,” Dr Lewis said.
PIC, part of global livestock genetics business, Genus, has four dam lines and four core sire lines, which can all be used pure or crossed to meet different environments or markets.
“Given these populations, you then need size to drive selection intensity”, Dr Lewis added. “A by-product of being the largest global breeding company, is that PIC can support very large pure populations – for example, we have more than 9,000 Duroc sows at nucleus level – to drive ongoing gain and provide within-population diversity.”
Measure what you want to improve
Only measuring traits in nucleus populations is a thing of the past, Dr Lewis added. PIC now measures, ‘in a very deliberate and detailed way’, crossbred traits both on the damlines and sirelines to ensure performance happens where it is intended, on commercial farms.
This more diversified data capture is then used with new tools that combine digital images and artificial intelligence to deliver greater accuracy in breeding programmes.
“How we measure is more consistent, more detailed and in more global locations than ever before, so we know how families and specific genes perform, given different environments,” Dr Lewis said.
Using the best science
Genomics is an ongoing and developing area for breeding companies. Dr Lewis said PIC’s programme has scale and scope that is not matched, with multiple pure and crossbred animals genotyped that:
- Create a robust and accurate breeding programme
- Use the selection on specific gene markers, like those for E-coli F4 and F18
- Provide a base for ongoing research into the genome using full sequence information that can be overlayed with biological data.
Select on what matters
PIC looks at the overall profitability of the pork chain. “From creating a quality dose of semen, to a customer enjoying a tasty bite of pork, the full chain is under selection to support a sustainable industry,” Dr Lewis said, adding that this value is created in four ways:
- Sow herd productivity – the creation of large litters of quality piglets at least cost.
- Fast and efficient growth in all stages – converting feed to gain efficiently.
- Robustness – to ethically drive throughput and more overall kilos of output.
- Carcase value and quality – to create a full value carcase with meat quality that drives consumer demand.
Innovation
PIC continues to drive the next generation of tools that will be the new baseline in global pig genetic programmes, leading the industry in innovative science, Dr Lewis added.
This includes further development of digital tools, ongoing research into areas such as metabolomics, microbiome and gene expression, and next-generation use of big data. This takes place in-house – with about 45 PhD-level animal scientists internally and more than £30m net spend, yearly, on product development – or in collaboration with the best global universities.
“This is without mentioning the paradigm-shifting technologies such as gene editing,” Dr Lewis said. “A great deal is changing in the UK and global pig industry, and as a British company we are a proud part of the British pig sector.
“We need to meet new demands on sustainability, welfare and the simplicity of use, given on-farm labour challenges, while also continuing to deliver the most cost-effective pig to drive ultimate profitability for customers.
“At PIC, we believe we have the products, people, science and partners to deliver success, not only in the short term, but as long-term partners.”