Enabling and Validating Genetic Progress for Commercial Success

At AcuFast, we focus on creating realized genetic value, which is built on three critical pillars: our genetic portfolio, commercial measurement system, and technology platform. Today, we'll take a closer look at our commercial measurement system and its crucial role in enabling and validating the right genetic outcomes.

The success of any genetic improvement program hinges on the verification and refinement of its outcomes. AcuFast's commercial measurement system is designed precisely for this purpose, ensuring that our program – and in turn, yours – achieves optimal success. This system goes beyond mere validation; it's the cornerstone of our decision-making process at the nucleus level, focusing on elements that directly impact your bottom line. By rigorously evaluating traits in real-world commercial settings, we're able to safeguard against unintended consequences (scrotal ruptures, sow prolapse, etc.) while maximizing the expression of commercial system value. 

AcuFast utilizes test herds for both terminal and maternal lines, validating our purebred lines as well as crossbred performance. This comprehensive approach ensures that we assess the full spectrum of performance, allowing for the most efficient genetic progress. It’s the most holistic systems-based model we’ve encountered and implemented for improving genetic outcomes, and as a result we’ve fully committed to it as a cornerstone of our strategy.  

Our Commercial Test Herd (CTH) measures, evaluates, and selects traits based on their true (realized) system value, with commercial performance directly guiding the selection of nucleus replacements. 

Sire Selection Process

The selection of sires for the test herd begins at the nucleus level. We assess their performance potential based on key commercial production traits using an index. Top-indexing sires are then tested through the CTH. Selected nucleus sires are tested against each other in the CTH commercial environment, precisely managing factors such as nutrition, stocking density, and ventilation that could influence the performance of their offspring.

This rigorous testing in a commercial environment allows us to accurately gauge genetic performance. Through a continuous cycle, the combination of purebred and crossbred information enables a genomic selection process that ensures the right commercial outcomes. 

The Importance of Phenotypic Data

Phenotypic data – the observable characteristics of a pig resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment – is crucial to genetic progress. We continually invest in capabilities to capture economically important phenotypes. Without accurate phenotypic measurements on the farm, our ability to create added genetic value through accurate genetic decisions is diminished.

For example, we've installed feed intake monitoring systems in all our nucleus farms. These systems collect and measure feed intake data with precision, allowing us to make informed selection decisions based on detailed feeding information. Additionally, we have developed a Survival Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) by capturing phenotypic mortality data in our CTH. Our sires demonstrate significantly lower mortality rates thanks to this system. Selecting for a high survival EBV has resulted in reduced mortality across all production stages, without compromising performance. Our investment in these phenotyping technologies and others, enables us to make more accurate decisions than ever before, enhancing the reliability of our genetic progress.

Benefits for Our Partners

By measuring, collecting, and prioritizing data and traits that matter most at the commercial level, we ensure that our partners receive tangible genetic advancements. Our partners see this in:

• Predictable Performance: Reliable outcomes based on thoroughly validated traits within each genetic line.
• Financial Gains: Increased product performance in traits that maximize profitability.
• Risk Management: Enhanced evaluation processes that identify and mitigate unintended consequences, such as ruptures or prolapses, ensuring the long-term health and viability of the herd.

Our commercial measurement system doesn't exist in isolation. It interacts with and enhances our other pillars of realized value:

• The data we collect in the CTH directly feeds into our genetic portfolio, helping make selection decisions and ultimately improving the core.
• Our technology platform allows us to collect and analyze the data from the CTH to improve our genetic portfolio.
• The CTH incorporates advanced technology to enhance the precision of trait measurement, such as feed intake monitors, crossbred survival and plant-based carcass measures.
• The CTH and technology platform enhance and validate the performance of our genetics, ensuring we achieve tangible genetic gains.

At the center of these pillars is the realized value you, our partner, get on your farm from all the investment, expertise, and power we put into these three pillars.

AcuFast's commercial measurement system plays a pivotal role in realizing genetic value. By validating genetic progress, we ensure that our program delivers the highest possible benefits to our partners. In an industry currently facing challenges including the unintended consequences from selection, we prioritize thorough testing and validation. This commitment sets AcuFast apart, providing our customers with genetics they can trust to perform reliably in real-world commercial settings.