Optimizing phosphorus in growing pigs  use through precise estimation of needs in a precision feeding contect

Starting date : 02/10/2024. Funding: AAFC Swine Cluster (Canada) . Cotutelle PhD: Université Paris-Saclay, Université Laval.  LIA Nutri-Mod

Phosphorus (P) plays a number of fundamental physiological roles in the life and growth of biological organisms. In pig production, the main source of P comes from plants in the form of phytate, a molecule that is not easily digestible by this species. To compensate for this deficit, inorganic P - a non-renewable resource - is added to the feed. However, this practice leads to excessive accumulation of phosphorus in the soil, particularly in areas with high pig production densities. Improving P use efficiency is therefore a crucial issue for the sustainability of this sector.
In this context, my PhD project aims to optimise the use of phosphorus in growing pigs by accurately estimating nutritional requirements through precision feeding. Several strategies will be explored, including depletion-repletion approaches, the use of phytase and precision feeding. This work will be based on meta-analyses and experimental trials. The results obtained will be used to develop a mechanistic model for accurately predicting phosphorus and calcium requirements in growing pigs.