Strategies for the development of a breeding program under organic conditions for conventional pig breeding lines – Universität Göttingen

Over the last 20 years, the demand for organically produced food in Germany has risen continuously. In pig farming, the proportion of organically reared animals is comparatively low. In addition to personal conviction, economic motives are the main factor motivating pig producers to transform their farms to an organic production. In addition to other factors (e.g. husbandry techniques), the selected pig breeds and their breeding are a factor for higher yields. The aim of this project is therefore to develop an organic breeding program based on conventional pig breeds and to evaluate the effects of the husbandry environment (genotype x environment). This allows organic farms to use artificial insemination to select breeding boars whose offspring can achieve sufficient performances under more extensive husbandry conditions of organic pig production without compromising health and fitness. In addition to the feasibility under practical farming conditions, the project is also investigating the potential benefits of recording other environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, greenhouse gases and the composition of the feed used. In addition, all animals involved in the project will be genotyped in order to assess the genetic potential of the pigs in the organic or conventional husbandry environment. The evaluation of all data in the project should provide a statement on the significance of the genotype x environment effects, as well as the quantification of the breeding progress in the organic husbandry system when using specifically selected breeding animals. In addition, it is planned to present the results obtained in this project to a broad specialist audience as part of a user workshop.