Advances in Pig Breeding and Reproduction

In recent years, there have been significant developments in the way that pigs are bred. This is primarily as a result of a shift in focus from production traits, such as meat quality, to other traits such as improved feed efficiency, reproductive performance and disease resistance. In light of this shift, a greater understanding of reproduction efficiency in pigs is required.

Advances in pig breeding and reproduction provides a comprehensive overview of the key research undertaken in these important areas and considers how reproduction efficiency can be optimised to achieve the desired breeding outcomes. The book also addresses recent advances in understanding how genetics can be engineered to breed pigs with an improved resistance to major diseases affecting pigs, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Dr Jason Ross is the Lloyd L. Anderson Endowed Professor in Physiology and the Chair of the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University, USA. Prior to serving as the department chair, Professor Ross was the Director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, supporting one of the leading pork-producing states in the USA through Extension and applied research. Professor Ross is internationally-known for his research on swine reproductive physiology for which he has received a number of awards.