[Now closed] Call for tender: Strengthening the AusScan Online Pig Digestible Energy (DE) calibrations

Near infrared spectrophotometry (NIR) calibrations were developed within the Premium Grains for Livestock Program (PGLP) and the Pork CRC for ileal DE and faecal DE (MJ/kg) of cereal grains for growing pigs.

Near infrared spectrophotometry (NIR) calibrations were developed within the Premium Grains for Livestock Program (PGLP) and the Pork CRC for ileal DE and faecal DE (MJ/kg) of cereal grains for growing pigs. The DE calibrations for pigs contain a wide range of cereal grains including natural and artificially weather damaged grains, and at present the calibration includes only grains grown in Australia. In order to improve the robustness of the calibrations maize grains from overseas are to be incorporated into the calibrations, as well as connectivity grains.

APRIL manages the license for the commercial use of the AusScan Online calibrations and is responsible for maintaining and upgrading the calibrations. Recently, APRIL upgraded the poultry AME calibrations by including high energy wheat varieties from Europe and Canada, which significantly enhanced the robustness of the calibrations and improved their validity for use outside of Australia.

APRIL is requiring a qualified research team (or teams) with access to suitable facilities to provide the required specialisations to upgrade the current AusScan Online Pig DE calibrations. The research project will use imported maize samples and a number of connectivity grains (grains from previous studies), which will provide additional data for the pig Ileal DE and faecal DE calibrations to improve the validity and suitability of AusScan Online.

The DE calibrations for pigs contain a wide range of cereal grains including natural and artificially weather damaged grains, and at present the calibration includes only grains grown in Australia. In order to improve the robustness of the calibrations maize grains from overseas are to be incorporated into the calibrations, as well as connectivity grains.

APRIL is requiring a qualified research team (or teams) with access to suitable facilities to provide the required specialisations to upgrade the current AusScan Online Pig DE calibrations. The research project will use imported maize samples and a number of connectivity grains (grains from previous studies), which will provide additional data for the pig Ileal DE and faecal DE calibrations to improve the validity and suitability of AusScan Online.

The tender opened on 3 August 2020 and closed on 31 August 2020.

For further information or inquiries, please contact Dr Charles Rikard-Bell, APRIL Manager, Commercialisation and Research Impact (c.rikardbell@april.org.au; 0439 513 723).