Abstract

The sustainability of organic production and cover crops depends on production costs and the economic value of products. Feed cost, contributing 65–75% of the total production cost, has a significant impact on profitability of organic pig farming. Utilizing grains harvested from cover crops as a feed ingredient for organic pigs can potentially protect the environment and increase the economic value of cover crops. This study was the first to evaluate the viability of integrating winter cover crop, camelina, into organic pig production. Winter camelina was grown organically in single or relay with soybeans to increase the total yield per hectare. Camelina yields in monocrop and in relay-crop fields were 1,394 and 684 kg ha−1, respectively. Although the total yield of camelina and soybean (1,894 kg ha−1) in the relay-crop field was higher than camelina yield in the monocrop field, monocropping camelina is more economical than relay-planting with soybeans due to the difference in production costs. Camelina press-cake was supplemented in diets fed to pigs raised under near-organic standards. Supplementing 10% camelina press-cake in diets reduced feed intake, weight gain, final weight at market, carcass weight, and dressing percent of pigs, but did not affect feed efficiency, belly firmness or pork quality. The viability of integrating camelina into organic pig production depends on marketing organic pigs for $2.4 kg−1 of live weight and marketing camelina oil for $3.59 kg−1 or more if monocropping.

Highlights

  • Organic agriculture is a fast-growing segment in the United States

  • This project was conducted at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC), University of Minnesota located in Morris, Minnesota of the United States, from 2018 through 2020

  • Eight hectares of land that is certified for organic production at the WCROC were used for organic winter camelina production between 2018 and 2019

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Summary

Introduction

Organic agriculture is a fast-growing segment in the United States. By 2019, 2.2 million hectares of farmland, accounting for 0.5% of total farmland, were certified for organic production (USDA, 2020). Organic agricultural commodity sales increased by 30% between 2016 and 2019, reaching an all-time high of $9.9 billion in 2019. Organic pig production is small compared with other organic commodities. 166 of the 16,585 certified organic farms nationwide in 2019 were pig farms. About 26,000 (26,179) organic pigs were sold, accounting for 0.02% of total marketed pigs across the United States in 2019. Compared to European Union countries where 5% of farmland is managed organically and 0.5% of total pigs are raised organically (Fruh et al, 2014), there is potential to expand organic pig production in the United States

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