2014 BIVI PRRS Research Awards Announced

Joanna Schroeder

In conjunction with the recent Swine Health Seminar in Dallas, Texas, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) announced the winners of its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards during the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Conference. The awards are designed to encourage ongoing discoveries in practical approaches to disease management.

boehringer-ingelheim-logo“The recent emergence of PED virus reminds us of the importance of ongoing research in helping the swine industry deal with the constant threat of disease,” said incoming AASV President Michelle Sprague, DVM, with Audubon Manning Veterinary Clinic (AMVC) in Audubon, Iowa. “Longstanding research programs like the BIVI PRRS research awards do provide the practical, effective results that veterinarians can utilize to better diagnose, prevent and control PRRS. As a swine veterinarian, I see firsthand on swine farms the benefits these research programs provide.”

BIVI awarded $75,000 to support three separate studies by independent swine disease researchers and practitioners in their investigations of novel ways to diagnose, control and eliminate PRRS. The selected PRRS studies focus on three important areas of disease research:

  • The effect of maternal PRRS immunity in pigs vaccinated with PRRS MLV vaccine and subsequently challenged with a heterologous PRRSV.  Winner: Brad Leuwerke, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minnesota for his research on the Effect of maternal PRRS immunity on the response of pigs to vaccination with a homologous modified-live vaccine and subsequent response to heterologous PRRS virus challenge.
  • Helping veterinarians and producers differentiate new PRRS virus incursions from resident strains. Winner: Andres Perez, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota for his research on the Differentiating new PRRS virus incursions from resident virus strains.
  • Improving oral fluid diagnostics. Winner: Jeff Zimmerman, DVM, PhD, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa for his research on Cleaning up oral fluid samples for improved diagnostics.

Sprague noted, “It is through this initiative that we have discovered many management practices that can give producers practical applications to implement to not only impact their own operations but also those of their neighbors.”

BIVI says their sponsored research awards have been critical in the development of less costly, more reliable diagnostic testing and sampling processes, as well as identifying more effective biosecurity, risk assessment and vaccination strategies. All total, the company has contributed $912,500 through the PRRS research awards to fund 37 separate research projects.

Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

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Extra Benefits of Sow + Piglet PCV2 Vaccinations

Joanna Schroeder

Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) began to present considerable issues in the sow herds in the United States in 2005 and 2006 and the disease has been in the forefront of research for the last several years. Dr. Robert Desrosiers, professional service veterinarian, BI, Ltd, Canada, has BIVI Dr Robert Desrosiersbeen reviewing the research to determine if there is a benefit to vaccinating sows for PCV2. The results of this research was the focal point of a recent presentation he gave to hundreds of veterinarians around the world during Boehringer Ingelheim’s Swine Health Seminar.

He noted that right now the industry agrees that just vaccinating sows for PCV2ab does not work. He explained that the industry knows it needs to vaccinate the pigs, but what he wanted to determine is if there are extra benefits of vaccinating both the pigs and the sows.

More specifically he looked to the research to see if vaccinating sows would improve the reproductive performance of the sows and whether or not the vaccination of sows and pigs could have either a negative or positive impact on pig performance.

Dr. Derosiers found four side by side studies that looked at CircoFLEX and the reproductive performance of sows. Two of the studies did not see a positive impact – in other words it did not improve reproductive performance- but he noted that the reproductive performance of these two herds was already really high. The other two studies, he found, demonstrated an improvement in reproductive performance.

Dr. Derosiers concluded that there are situations where sow vaccination will improve reproductive performance. He also noted that overall, the research is in favor of sow and pig vaccination.

Learn more about the benefits of vaccinating both sows and pigs by listening to my interview with Dr. Robert Desrosiers. Research Shows Extra Benefits of Sow + Piglet PCV2 Vaccinations

Check out the BIVI guest adventures in the BIVI Big D Swine Health Seminar photo album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Gators Luv Pork!

Cindy Zimmerman

This is breaking news!

The Pork Checkoff has just released the results of a nationwide competition to discover which state has the most #PorkLUV – and Florida wins!

After sharing more than 2,400 declarations, 30,000 fresh pork meals will be donated and divided among food banks within the state. North Carolina and New York were close behind, and with more than 17,400 total shares from coast to coast, it’s obvious that America’s passion for pork is hot.

Where did your state rank?

pork-luv

Ag Groups, Food, Pork

Alltech Asks “What If”

Jamie Johansen

What If AlltechKnowledge and planning provide a sense of relief, particularly in business. Business and Technology, one of the six major sessions during “What If,” the 30th Annual Alltech International Symposium will help attendees stay worry-free by asking, “What if there are faster ways to predict the future?” The session will offer businesses strategies to maximize efficiency by embracing technological innovations and marketplace opportunities. It will take place in downtown Lexington, Ky., USA from May 18-21.

Evoking curiosity with its theme, “What If,” the Symposium will focus on the areas of Crop Science, Life Sciences, Africa, Modern Farming, The Algae Opportunity, and Business and Technology – all primary topics of focus which will feature notable, expert speakers from around the world.

During the Business and Technology session, Dr. Damien McLoughlin, professor at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, will address the question of, “What happens next?” and share his knowledge on strategic succession planning to ensure the life of a business.

“The greatest investment in business is always in management,” McLoughlin said. “The opportunities in global agribusiness are so great today, that no firm, family-owned or otherwise can ignore the challenge of finding, developing and empowering the next generation of managers and leaders. At the Alltech International Symposium, we will discuss this issue and identify practical points that you can use to improve your business.”

Dr. Aoife Lyons, licensed clinical psychologist and director of Alltech’s Career Development Program, will also speak, explaining the benefits of psychometric testing in hiring excellent talent, debunking fears and myths about psychometric testing, and outlining the economic benefit to companies. Eighty-five percent of companies in the Forbes 500 use psychometric testing as part of the hiring process. Making sure people have the right skills but equally, matching a potential employee’s personality with the corporate culture of their team is imperative.

The Business and Technology session will address other questions as well, including:
– What if there were simpler, alternative ways to achieve the same objectives in business?
– What if micro-loans were available for new businesses?
– Where do you look for funds?
– What if it is not about big data, but about the right data?
– What if your business is not completely connected?

Registration for Alltech’s 30th Annual International Symposium is open now and available for an early discount price of $599 until April 10. Standard registration after April 10 will be $850. Two paid registrations from a single company or organization will receive a third registration free of charge. Delegates who are members of ARPAS and AAVSB can also earn CEUs.

Agribusiness, Alltech, Crop Science, Events, Technology

Celebrate National Ag Day

Chuck Zimmerman

AgDay Logo365 sunrises and 7 billion mouths to feed!

National Ag Day Activities are just around the corner starting next Monday in Washington, DC. Cindy and I will be in town for them. Actually, I’ll be covering Ag Day activities while she’s covering the American Coalition for Ethanol’s annual DC Fly-in. I’ll be starting out on Monday with Agri-Pulse and their Farm-to-Fork Politics session and reception. Then it’s a full day on Tuesday. You can find some good stories on the Ag Day Blog btw.

So how are you planning to celebrate the day? Take our latest ZimmPoll to let us know.

The Ag Council of America has some digital resources you can use to help promote Ag Day in their media kit. Here are a couple of examples.

You can listen to one of the radio spots here: AgDay Radio Spot

Ag Day, Ag Groups

Using SMS Software on Your Tablet

Melissa Sandfort

Insights WeeklyThis week we caught up with Kaleb Lindquist, Ag Leader software sales specialist, who gives us an update on how growers can now utilize SMS mobile software from any tablet device they currently have.

Kaleb says SMS mobile can be used on any laptop with a Windows Operating System or tablet with the full version of Windows.

Listen to Lindquist explain

Kaleb also says you can take your tablet out to the field, attach a GPS receiver to it and that will enable you to do soil sampling, scouting or general coverage logging.

Listen to Lindquist explain

Ag Leader will begin holding SMS trainings this summer, but if you have questions prior to the spring planting season, be sure to ask your dealer or call Ag Leader customer service.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader, Agribusiness

What is the Infection Chain of PCV2?

Joanna Schroeder

There is a lot of ongoing research around Porcine Circovirus (PCV2), a disease that has affected swine herds for nearly 40 years. During the recent Swine Health Seminar in Dallas, Texas hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr. David Baumert, staff veterinarian, Cargill Pork discussed some of his research around the virus. In particular, he looked at the infection chain of PCV2.

BIVI Dr David Baumert Cargill PorkThere are two ways pigs can be infected by PCV2. One is by co-mingling with other pigs that are infected and the second way is by being farrowed or born from a sow that has a high level of circovirus.

“Particularly in the case where the sow infects the pig, that’s where we’re staring to think of the concept as an infection chain where its moving from animal to animal or from one area of production to another area of production as if we’re following links of a chain down a pathway,” explained Baumert.

He noted that the more we think about the concept of a chain of infection, the farther back we look to find the area where we can make the biggest improvement or have the greatest opportunity of success for disease control.

Learn more about the PCV2 infection chain including horizontal and vertical transmission by listening my interview with Dr. David Baumert. What is the Infection Chain of PCV2?

Check out the BIVI guest adventures in the BIVI Big D Swine Health Seminar photo album.

Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

FMC Expands Web Series to Offer New Content

Jamie Johansen

fmc-watch-winStarting this month, Authority Minute, an online web series offered by FMC Agricultural Solutions, will transition to a new name. The Minute by FMC will feature an expanded territory covering more growing topics, more crops and more issues. Episodes of The Minute can be viewed online at www.news.FMCMinute.com.

“Since launching Authority Minute nearly a year ago, we’ve received numerous comments from growers and retailers who want information beyond soybeans and weed management,” said Paul Redhage, FMC Agricultural Solutions North America strategic communications manager. “By adding more content for a wider audience, others will be able to learn from experts around the country.”

Host Jake Turner will continue to lead viewers as he travels across the country talking with experts on topics from insect resistance and starter fertilizers to tank mixing and sprayer calibrations. Upcoming new episodes will feature a weed identification challenge and the topic of tackling summer annuals.

The transition also includes a Watch and Win Sweepstakes. Account holders who view the online episodes will automatically be entered to win the grand prize – a dream vacation of their choice from one of six destinations, valued up to $5,000. Five first-place winners will receive $500 airfare vouchers and 20 additional winners will receive digital cameras. The sweepstakes entry period ends May 30, 2014. Winners are selected at random and will be notified in June. Sweepstakes rules and regulations are posted online.

For more information on FMC crop protection products, please visit www.FMCcrop.com. Like us on Facebook.

Chuck spoke with Paul at the National Farm Machinery Show about FMC’s Watch and Win Sweepstakes. Listen to the complete interview here: Interview with Paul Redhage

Agribusiness, Audio, FMC

New Holland Sponsors Great American Wheat Harvest

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland AgricultureNext week I’ll finally get to see The Great American Wheat Harvest! AgWired has been a sponsor of this fantastic project since the beginning and now we get to see the fruit of that investment during National Ag Day Activities next week in Washington, DC. Conrad Weaver, ConjoStudios, the film producer is happy to announce another silver sponsor for the project, New Holland. Two of the harvesting crews featured in the film use New Holland equipment.

The Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking of Manley, Nebr., and the L. Petersen Farms of Hodgeville, Saskatchewan, both run New Holland combines on the wheat harvest route from Texas and Canada. The Great American Wheat Harvest follows three other farm equipment crews and kicks off its national premiere screening at the 2014 National Ag Day on March 25 in Washington, D.C.

“We appreciate the New Holland sponsorship and the collaboration of all our sponsors who have made our national premiere screening possible,” Weaver says.

“We’re pleased New Holland, and two of our customers, have the privilege of playing a role in this important documentary. As an advocate for agriculture, we feel this film is a smart way to connect consumers with the people who harvest a crop that feeds the world,” says New Holland Vice President Abe Hughes.

New Holland now joins other Great American Wheat Harvest major sponsors, including: Legacy Sponsor, John Deere; Platinum Sponsor, U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.; Gold Sponsors, C& B Operations and North Dakota Wheat Commission state ag and commerce collaboration; and Silver Sponsors, MacDon Industries, Case IH, Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters, TMCO/National Manufacturing, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, and media partner, AgWired.com, an online media service.

For more information about sponsorship packages, media interviews, speaking appearances of the filmmaker and questions, contact Jody L. Lamp, GAWH National Executive Co-Coordinator, call (406) 698-9675(406) 698-9675 or by email at jody@greatamericanwheatharvest.com.

Agribusiness, Harvest, New Holland, Wheat