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In states with high population densities, such as Illinois, odor problems have severely restricted the development, remodeling or even operation of swine facilities. That puts the Illinois swine industry at a competitive disadvantage with other states.–MICHAEL ELLIS |
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Sniffing out odor to keep swine on the farm
 
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If a deep breath of fresh, country air causes people to wrinkle their noses, the nearby swine producer is likely
in for trouble. A "not-in-my-back-yard" reaction to swine odors could determine where pig production expands or even whether it remains a part of Illinois
agriculture.
"Livestock units are bigger today than they used to be, and that means more odor," said Michael Ellis, an expert in swine management at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. "Also, we are seeing more urban encroachment on agriculture and a change in the background of the community. People who didn't grow up on a farm may have little tolerance for the situation."
Ellis is part of a team of researchers in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) sniffing out the causes of swine odor and how odor might be reduced or managed. The team includes researchers with expertise in nutrition, environmental physiology, animal behavior, microbiology, ventilation, and manure and contaminants. New to the team is a researcher with experience managing human evaluation panels. "At the end of the day, it's the human nose that will tell us whether an odor is acceptable or not," Ellis noted.
The team is approaching swine odor as a two-pronged problem: one of human and animal health; and one of perception of odor. Several scientists already were doing related research, but the C-FAR grant allowed them to come together, add missing elements, develop a integrated approach and upgrade research facilities to accommodate new activities. The long-term goal is to develop practical techniques, such as diet management or air scrubbing technologies, to reduce odor production within buildings.
"Certainly, swine odor has been with us since swine," Ellis said, "but we don't really know much about odor. We don't have a clear understanding of the basic biology of the system: where odors are produced, what components make up odor and at what levels, or the combined impact of two or more of the odor components."
Using computer modeling, housed animals, specially modified air-flow chambers and other equipment, the team is uniquely positioned to collect and analyze a full range of factors that might impact odor. The ability to carefully control and monitor the environment, created in part with C-FAR funds, will allow researchers to evaluate swine diet, waste, gasses and air.
"One of the advantages of this university is that research can span basic to applied, as we are doing on this project. We don't expect to find a magic bullet, but it is quite possible that we can come up with strategies to block odor or reduce it to a minimal level," Ellis said. "This is critical if swine production, a $1 billion industry in Illinois, is to be sustainable here. As houses move nearer to farms, complaints are only going to increase."
Related C-FAR Research Projects related to swine odor, health and disease, reproduction efficiencies and other factors that might limit the Illinois pork industry are under way at Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition, C-FAR sponsored part of the ACES transgenic swine project aimed at improving swine growth through genetics. Project & Updates |
