Van den Broeke A, De Cuyper C, Kress K, Stefanski V, Škrlep M, Čandek-Potokar M, Maribo H, Millet S
Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium.
Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Melle, Belgium.
Animal. 2022 Dec;16(12):100669. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100669. Epub 2022 Oct 19.
The environmental impact of livestock production is under scrutiny nowadays and is being situated both on a global level and local level. On a global level, the global warming potential (GWP) of meat production is criticised. On a local level, the excretion of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is of concern as excess nutrients may lead to water eutrophication and soil acidification. The ERA-NET project SuSI evaluated if immunocastration may act as an ecologically, socially and economic more sustainable alternative compared to pork production with surgical castrates (SCs) and boars (BOs). Here, we report the environmental impact of immunocastrates (ICs) vs SC and BO, based on four trials carried out by European SuSi partners. More specifically, we aimed to compare IC with SC and BO in terms of GWP, N and P excretion per kg of pork production and test if this differed between experiments. There was an interaction between trial and sex category (P < 0.005) for all environmental sustainability parameters. Surgical castrates performed worse (higher carbon footprint of the feed intake, N and P excretion, lower N and P efficiency) compared to IC and BO, but the size of the effect was trial dependent. Immunocastrates scored intermediate, with mostly no significant differences from BO in most trials, but with significantly better values compared to SC. Over trials, the carbon footprint of the feed intake (land use change inclusive) per kg lean meat gain in the growing-finishing phase was 9-16% lower for IC vs SC and 9-22% lower for BO vs SC. Nitrogen efficiency of IC and BO was 7-10% and 9-14%, respectively, higher compared to SC. Phosphorus efficiency of IC and BO was higher than that of SC by 6-14% and 9-17%, respectively. Per kg of lean meat gain in the growing-finishing phase, IC excreted between 14 and 19% less N and between 14 and 24% less P than SC. For BO, it was between 14 and 27% less N and between 14 and 31% less P than SC. Differences between trials were larger than differences between castration strategies and trial design may have amplified the observed effects. Improving feed efficiency, adapting the feed to the needs of the animal (avoiding excess nutrients) and choosing low-impact ingredients are key for improving the environmental sustainability of pig production. Ending physical castration is another step to attain this goal.
如今，畜牧生产对环境的影响正受到审视，且这种影响在全球和地方层面都有所体现。在全球层面，肉类生产的全球变暖潜能值（GWP）受到批评。在地方层面，氮（N）和磷（P）的排泄令人担忧，因为过量的养分可能导致水体富营养化和土壤酸化。ERA-NET项目SuSI评估了与使用手术去势公猪（SCs）和公猪（BOs）进行猪肉生产相比，免疫去势是否可能成为一种在生态、社会和经济方面更具可持续性的替代方案。在此，我们根据欧洲SuSI合作伙伴进行的四项试验，报告免疫去势公猪（ICs）与SCs和BOs相比的环境影响。更具体地说，我们旨在比较ICs与SCs和BOs在每千克猪肉生产的GWP、N和P排泄方面的情况，并测试不同实验之间是否存在差异。对于所有环境可持续性参数，试验和性别类别之间存在交互作用（P < 0.005）。与ICs和BOs相比，手术去势公猪的表现更差（饲料摄入的碳足迹、N和P排泄更高，N和P效率更低），但影响的大小取决于试验。免疫去势公猪得分居中，在大多数试验中与BOs大多无显著差异，但与SCs相比有显著更好的值。在各项试验中，生长育肥阶段每千克瘦肉增重的饲料摄入碳足迹（包括土地利用变化），ICs比SCs低9 - 16%，BOs比SCs低9 - 22%。ICs和BOs的氮效率分别比SCs高7 - 10%和9 - 14%。ICs和BOs的磷效率分别比SCs高6 - 14%和9 - 17%。在生长育肥阶段，每千克瘦肉增重，ICs排泄的N比SCs少14 - 19%，P少14 - 24%。对于BOs，N比SCs少14 - 27%，P少14 - 31%。试验之间的差异大于去势策略之间的差异，试验设计可能放大了观察到的效果。提高饲料效率、使饲料适应动物需求（避免过量养分）以及选择低影响成分是提高生猪生产环境可持续性的关键。停止物理去势是实现这一目标的又一步骤。
