Duration: 10/01/2024 to 09/30/2029

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

The NCERA57 group was established more than six decades ago and consists of a diverse multistate coordination of academic professors from major land grant Universities and ARS scientists across the U.S. focused specifically on swine reproductive physiology.  The committee meets annually to will provide a forum for exchange of research information, approaches, critiques of literature and introduction of novel research, teaching and extension approaches.  In addition, these meetings provide a platform for student engagement in the research forums and are instrumental in establishing collaborative projects across multistate stations and discusses.  To improve production efficiencies and global competitiveness of the U.S. swine industry, this committee has provided and will continue to develop improved technology and scientific knowledge of reproductive processes in swine production through impactful multistate station research collaborations. 

Statement of Issues and Justification

As the global population increases exponentially, livestock production systems must maximize efficiencies to adequately feed the world.  Pork is an excellent source of high-quality, affordable protein not only for the U.S., but also for the entire world.  Pork production also contributes to the U.S. and global economy.  According to the National Pork Producers Council (2021), U.S. pork production and processing contributes more than $175 billion annually to global economic activity.  Increased production efficiency for the industry, not only provides greater availability of high-quality protein and maximizes profitability and competitive ability of the U.S. swine production, but also minimizes resource use and environmental footprint as seen with other livestock production systems.  Reproductive success remains one of the core approaches to enhance production efficiency for the swine industry.  The NCERA57 group was established more than six decades ago and consists of a diverse multistate coordination of academic professors from major land grant Universities and ARS scientists across the U.S. focused specifically on swine reproductive physiology.  To improve production efficiencies and global competitiveness of the U.S. swine industry, this committee has provided and will continue to develop improved technology and scientific knowledge of reproductive processes in swine production through impactful research.  The research identified and targeted by this committee includes developing a comprehensive understanding of the key reproductive processes for both males and females throughout their lifetimes and the influence of external factors (i.e., seasonal heat stress, disease, management, diet, etc.) on these reproductive processes.  Research approaches for this project will use both applied and basic scientific approaches as well as rapidly advancing technologies (i.e., -omics and gene modification studies) with a key goal of multistate collaborations and the successful pursuit of extramural funding for these collaborations.  In addition, this committee will develop innovative teaching methods for undergraduate and graduate education and cooperative extension outreach to provide unique mechanisms of scientific exchange and dialogue to students and swine industry representatives for improving reproductive efficiencies.  Finally, this committee will specifically engage key swine industry stakeholders and other scientific community members by hosting a biennial symposium focused on relevant topics to enhance swine reproductive efficiencies.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

The NCERA57 committee has contributed to a long history of providing a mechanism for diverse group of researchers, educators, and extension specialists focused on swine reproductive physiology to meet annually, discuss each stations current research and implications for improving swine production efficiency and scientific advancement (refer to historical attachment highlighting current members, past hosting stations, and officers).  These meetings are instrumental in establishing collaborations across multistate stations.  In addition, the committee has provided innovative teaching methods and extension outreach, particularly the biennial research symposia (refer to historical attachment for a list of past symposia topics and hosting stations), developing unique methods for the exchange information and engagement with students, key swine industry members, and other members of the scientific community.  

Recent accomplishments and publications from the NCERA committee (2019-2024; refer to attachment) provide specific examples highlighting the collaborative efforts across multistate stations towards achieving the Objectives for the NCEAR57 committee (2024-2029).  For Objective 1, collaborative efforts specifically focused on boar performance are being performed across many multistate station locations including IA, IL, IN, NE, MO, MS, NC, NE, USDA-ARS-BARC, USDA-ARS-USMARC, USDA-ARS-WL, WV, and WI.  For example, extensive collaborative research has been and will continue to be performed focusing on improving artificial insemination (AI) technology, cryopreservation of sperm, reducing the number of sperm required per AI, improving methods for sperm quality predictors, evaluation of the interactions of sperm within the oviductal environment and subsequent fertility, and the influence and subsequent mitigation of seasonality and heat stress on boar fertility.  In terms of research efforts for Objective 2 to improve gilt and sow performance, collaborative efforts are occurring across IA, IL, IN, MO, NC, NE, USDA-ARS-BARC, USDA-ARS-USMARC, USDA-ARS-WL, WV, and WI.  These research collaborations focusing on female reproduction include development of protocols for improving timing of ovulation and insemination, evaluation of endocrine influences on gilt development and fertility, improvement of sow productivity, longevity, and health, and corresponding piglet survival and quality, and like boars the influence and subsequent mitigation of seasonality and heat stress on female fertility.  Other potential areas of focus for the NCERA57 committee on boar and sow reproduction include immunological influences on reproductive processes, sex influences on survival and corresponding development, and improved sexed semen technology. 

Research approaches utilized by this committee focus on both applied applications (Objective 3) and basic scientific approaches (Objective 4).  For instance, research performed in IA, OH, and WI has evaluated the influence of nutrient supplementation on semen quality.  Similarly, evaluation of sow pelvic prolapse has been ongoing across many industry representatives throughout the United States (IA, MO, MN, and NC) and aboard (the Netherlands).  These applied studies are important for identifying technology and methods for improving reproduction outcomes on commercial farms.  Understanding basic scientific knowledge is also critical for identifying methods for improving key reproductive processes.  Many basic scientific collaborative efforts are ongoing within this committee across IA, IN, IL, MO, NE, USDA-ARS-USMARC, USDA-ARS-WL, WV, and WI.  These include developing a detailed understanding on folliculogenesis, spermatogenesis, sperm capacitation, sperm/oviductal interactions, fertilization, early embryonic development, conceptus signaling for establishment of pregnancy, uterine morphogenesis, endometrial secretion and immune function, regulation of placental development, and corresponding uterine capacity.  Many of these collaborative studies utilize rapidly advancing technologies including a variety of -omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approaches and gene modification using the CRISPR technologies.  A key focus of the NCERA57 committee is to maximize collaboration across multistate stations (Objective 5) with the goal of obtaining extramural funding.  This is highlighted by four active grants (3 NIFA and 1 NIH) that are ongoing across multistate stations within the NCERA57 committee.

A final component of the NCERA57 committee is to provide unique mechanisms of scientific exchange and dialogue to students, the scientific community, and swine industry representatives.  Many multistate stations across IA, IL, IN, MO, PA, and WI have developed innovative teaching methods and extensive outreach (Objective 6) to provide this critical exchange of scientific information.  For instance, collaborators in IA, IL, IN, and MO have developed an extension program, the SowBridge that translates scientific information into usable information for swine farms.  In addition, collaborators from IN and PA have developed useful extension webinars to provide information on key reproductive topics to the swine industry.  Educators from IA, MO, and WI have developed online resources on reproductive topics to increase student engagement across multiple universities.  And finally, and most importantly, over the past 2 decades, the NCERA57 committee has and will continue to engage key members of the swine industry, scientific community, and students by organizing and hosted a biennial symposium (refer to historical attachment) focused on reproductive issues and topics for the swine industry (Objective 7).  

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

The NCERA57 committee will continue to conduct a biennial symposium, which has been featured since 2002. We strive to invite stakeholders, such as swine industry leaders, to attend the annual meeting as well as suggest topics and participate in the biennial symposium. The topics of the biennial symposium are chosen the year in advance to reflect the current interest of the industry in areas for which the committee has expertise to contribute.  The location of the specific meeting with the symposium are choosen with attention to potential industry and producer representatives that could benifit from the topic.  Outside attendance at the symposium averages 60 - 70 individuals.

The development of educational material and approaches for undergraduate education is an important aspect of this committee’s annual meetings. As material is developed it will be shared among the associated institutions for inclusion in undergraduate and extension teaching activities.

Organization/Governance

A Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair and a Secretary.  All officers are to be elected for a two-year term of service.  Guidance to the committee will be provided by the Adminstrative Advisor and a NIMSS Respresentative.    

Literature Cited

All literature highlighted in this document are reported in the Accomplishments and publications (NCERA57 2019-2024) as collaborative references.  

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

IA, IL, MO, NE, PA, WI

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

USDA-ARS, USDA/ARS/U.S. Meat Animal Research Center