Where is research taking us to feed the world?

1. Where is research taking us to feed the world? Dr. Brian Freeze Director of Operations Lethbridge Research Centre AIPA CONFERENCE 2012

2. Overview • Global Questions • 9 Billion people by 2050 • Perspective – maintenance vs. productivity • Future breakthroughs? Abundance? • Canada – Agricultural Science • Key Commodities • Who, What, Where • Western Canada • Next 5 years – key technologies • Wrap-Up

3. Global Questions • 9 billion by 2050 – FAO – need 70% increase in food • pressure on water, energy – but if reduce waste can feed everybody without additional resource use • Perspective • 40% of ag research directed at “maintaining” productivity (2009, Sparger, VPI) – e.g. new pests, diseases, resistance, climate change – e.g. Fusarium, UG99, Stripe Rust, Ivermectin resistance, antibiotic resistance • Future Breakthroughs – Abundance? • N fixing wheats; perennial cereals; C4 rice, wheat; Metabolic engineering – transplatomic plants; BioChar; Vertical Farming; Urban aquaculture; Cultured meat; Optimized photosynthesis; Agroecology

4. Abundance – The Future is Brighter Than You Think • Energy • Solar • Wind • Algae Fuels • Faux Photosynthesis • Generation IV Nuclear • Food • Vertical Farming • Photosynthetic Optimization • Urban Aquaculture • Cultured protein • Agro-Ecology Farming

5. Current Global Stocks

6. Canada – Agricultural Science – Key Commodities What do we mostly produce? • Wheat, Canola // Corn, Soybeans • Forage / Hay / Range -> Cattle (Beef, Dairy) -> Milk • Barley, Corn -> Cattle, Swine, Poultry

7. Key Agricultural Products – Canada2004 Net Cash Receipts - $ Billions (Statistics Canada) • Total Livestock Net Cash Receipts…… $ 17.5 • Cattle -------------- $ 5.07 (usually about $7.5) • Swine ------------- $ 4.26 • Milk ------------- -- $ 4.59 • Poultry & Eggs- $ 2.41 • Total Crop Net Cash Receipts …..….… $ 14.5 Hectares ‘000 • Wheat ------------- $ 3.02 10,400 • Canola ------------ $ 2.14 5,319 • Corn --------------- $ .79 1,184 • Soybeans -------- $ .67 1,176 • Barley ------------- $ .55 4,678 • Oats -----------------$ .23 1,995 • Peas ---------------- $ .33 1,388 • Flax ----------------- $ .19 .728 • Other Crops ----- $ 5.90 • Tame Hay 7,482 ($ included in cattle & milk) • There are fivemajor agricultural production sectors in Canada. In order of importance to farm cash receipts, these are: • grains and oilseeds (34%) • red meats (27%) • dairy (12%) • horticulture (9%) • poultry and eggs (8%)

8. Canada –Ag Science – Who, What, Where

9. Canada –Ag Science – Who, What, Where Ontario AAFC – Southern Crop Protection & Food Research Centre, Greenhouse & Processing Crops Research Centre, Eastern Cereal & Oilseed Research Centre University of Guelph – Advanced Foods & Materials Network, Centre for Functional Foods, Human Nutraceutical Research Unit National Health Products Technology Centre, Guelph Food Technology Centre University of Western Ontario Centre for Human Nutrition University of Toronto Saskatchewan University of Saskatchewan POS Pilot Plant Sask. Food Development Centre AAFC – Saskatoon Research Centre NRC – PBI Canadian Light Source Innovation Place Bioprocessing Centre Alberta Universities of Alberta, Calgary & Lethbridge AAFC – Lacombe, Lethbridge Alberta Research Council Alberta Agriculture Alberta Food Development Centre Olds College Atlantic Provinces Memorial Univeristy University of Moncton Food Research Centre University of Prince Edward Island NRC – Institute for Marine Biosciences AAFC Kentville, Charlottetown, Fredericton Prince Edward Island Food Technology Centre British Columbia AAFC – Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre University of British Columbia Manitoba University of Manitoba & the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals Natl. Centre for Agri-Food Research & Medicine/St. Boniface AAFC Brandon, Morden Centre Manitoba Food Development Centre Quebec McGill University Phytochemical Metabolism Group Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods – Laval University AAFC St. Hyacinthe, Lennoxville, St. Foy, St. Jean

10. Next 5 Years – Technologies - Western Canada Breeding / Genomics / BioTech Revolution - what is in the pipeline? • Crops – higher yields / less land • Livestock • more efficient cattle • safety and quality improvements Look at 5 examples from Alberta research

11. Wheat In Western Canada • Wheat grown on 24.3 million acres (10 year average) • Vast majority is spring wheat but winter wheat gaining in popularity • Accounts for approx. 10% of total cash farm receipts • Yield: spring wheat = 2.20 t/ha (32 bu/A) winter wheat = 2.74 t/ha (41 bu/A) • Winter wheat yields from 25 to 65% more than spring wheat in western Canada

12. Wheat Productivity in Canada 10 Year Average (1993/94 – 2002/03)

13. Winter Wheat • Winter Wheat Expansion since 1980s – why? • was grown on summerfallow or tilled stubble • No-till seeding on stubble proven effective for winter survival • Development of excellent end-use quality varieties - AC Readymade (1991), AC Tempest (1997), AC Bellatrix (1998), AC Radiant (2001) • last 2 account for 90% of WW acreage in Alberta • AC Radiant (2001) was first AAFC variety with exceptional straw strength that facilitated production on irrigation and high levels of nutrient inputs • Past 5 years – 4 new winter wheat varieties registered by AAFC that are well suited to irrigation

14. Winter Wheat on Irrigation – 4 high yielding

15. Cattle– Feed Efficiency • Feed Efficiency is the “Holy Grail” – 3 components: • Plant improvement – e.g. Sainfoin • Cattle improvement – e.g. Residual Feed Intake selection • Gut bacteria / digestion – e.g. Enzymes • Gut / animal health – e.g. Probiotics / Prebiotics

16. Cattle – Residual Feed Intake • Residual feed intake (RFI) represents the amount of feed consumed, net of the animals requirements of body weight and production – adjusts feed efficiency for body size and production – moderate heritability .29-.46 • First proposed in 1963 but only last 15 years could be well measured (Growsafe feed bunk technology) • E.g. RFIs (-9.25 to 9.06) => ADGs (4.72 to 2.47 lbs/day) • Near future – selection for low RFI animals by thermography / RFI selection as part of multi-trait index – part of a SNP chip

17. Cattle – Residual Feed Intake Benefits of selection for lower RFI in beef cattle • Reduction in feed intake by 10-12% • Reduction in liver, stomach and intestinal weight • 25-30% reduction in methane production • 15-17% reduction in manure N, P and K production • Efficient calves become efficient adults • Progeny of low RFI cattle more efficient • Reduction feed costs • $0.07 to $0.10 per hd per day feeders => $19-38 million • $0.11 to $0.12 per hd per day cows => $54-$110 million

18. Cattle - Sainfoin • New Sainfoin varieties with alfalfa quality and equivalent stand persistence have been developed at Lethbridge Research Centre

19. Beef - Use sainfoin to reduce pasture bloat • Sainfoin contains Condensed Tannins • The tannins exist in all parts of the sainfoin plant with a significant amount present in the leaves • Upon sainfoin mastication and rumination tannins and proteins are released from the tissues; • Sainfoin tannins react with proteins and precipitates them from the rumen; • This procedure prevents the quick release of plant proteins into the rumen fluid, thus preventing bloat

20. Cattle – Enzymes – history and new potential • First generation industrial enzymes (use in textiles and detergents) have been around for about 15 years – over ten years work at AAFC Lethbridge and elsewhere (sprayed on forage, added to concentrate, sprayed on to TMR, dry powder added to feed – various dosages, different beef/dairy animals) – mixed results • Recent 2nd generation enzymes – specifically for ruminants – should have high activity at (pH 6.0 – 6.5 and 35 C) e.g. added to silage or TMR for dairy increased milk production efficiency by 10-15 % • Current LRC project (2012-15) with grass forages for cow-calf – application at baling (ryegrass, timothy, brome, cwg, orchardgrass, straws)

21. Considerations for ruminant enzyme feed additives (Opportunities) • Economics • Cost of feed grain continues to increase • Cost of enzyme production decreasing • Can fibrolytic enzymes be used to decrease the cost of meat/milk production? • Can enzymes improve digestibility of fibrous feeds? • Greater use of forages/byproduct feed in beef/dairy diets • Improved feed efficiency, increased animal performance (when limited by intake), improved rumen health • Is there a role for other enzyme activities: amylases (starch), proteases (proteins), phytase (P)? • Cost, environmental pressures

22. Cattle – Gut Health

23. Cattle– Gut Health • High energy diets affect gut health; i.e., subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), barrier dysfunction, bloat) -> reduce disease resistance, cow longevity, milk health • Variation in cattle susceptibility suggests genetic influence – e.g. re: structure and function of eptithelia; re: microbiomes – a non-core portion driven by animal genotype • Pre and Probiotics (yeasts, bacteria) may stabilize rumen fermentation and gut health • New molecular tools e.g. Pyrosequencing & real time PCR => unravel mode of action of pre/probiotics, microbiomes, bio-markers of gut health

24. Summary • Can we feed the world? Future – Abundance? • Canada’s part – cereals and cattle • 5 year technologies examples from AAFC research in western Canada • Winter wheat – 4 new varieties with 25-65% improvement in yield over Spring wheat – good rust and FHB resistance • Residual Feed Intake – 10-12% reduction in feed intake – selection by thermography, SNP chips for low RFI bulls/cows • Sainfoin – forage finishing without bloat • Enzymes – low quality forages/straws -> alfalfa quality • Gut Health – biomarkers for cow gut health / probiotics