Dietary Phosphorus and Calcium Utilization in Growing Pigs: Requirements and Improvements

Abstract

The sustainability of animal production relies on the judicious use of phosphorus (P). Phosphate, the mined source of agricultural phosphorus supplements, is a non-renewable resource, but phosphorus is essential for animal growth, health, and well-being. P must be provided by efficient and sustainable means that minimize the phosphorus footprint of livestock production by developing precise assessment of the bioavailability of dietary P using robust models. About 60% of the phosphorus in an animal's body occurs in bone at a fixed ratio with calcium (Ca) and the rest is found in muscle. The P and Ca requirements must be estimated together; they cannot be dissociated. While precise assessment of P and Ca requirements is important for animal well-being, it can also help to mitigate the environmental effects of pig farming. These strategies refer to multicriteria approaches of modeling, efficient use of the new generations of phytase, depletion and repletion strategies to prime the animal to be more efficient, and finally combining these strategies into a precision feeding model that provides daily tailored diets for individuals. The industry will need to use strategies such as these to ensure a sustainable plant–animal–soil system and an efficient P cycle.

Sustainable swine feeding programs require the convergence of multiple dimensions of circular agriculture and food systems with One Health

“…To optimize P utilization when feeding diets containing plant-based ingredients with relatively high amounts of phytate to swine, exogenous phytase enzymes can be added to increase the proportion of dietary P used by the animal, reduce P excretion in manure, and minimize the antinutritional effects of phytate on digestibility of other nutrients ( Shurson et al, 2021c ). The addition of phytase to swine diets has been shown to increase P digestibility by 20% to 50% which subsequently reduces P excretion in manure ( Lautrou et al, 2021 ). In addition, adding phytase to swine diets has been shown to reduce global warming potential by 17%, acidification potential (AP) by 110%, and eutrophication potential (EP) by 700% compared with unsupplemented diets ( Nielsen and Wenzel, 2007 ).…”

Phosphorus and nitrogen nutrition in swine production

“…Apart from a strategy to fulfill the more precisely as possible the requirement as previously described; it is possible to reduce phosphorus momentarily without affecting performance while reducing excretion. Since animals have a survival strategy to overcome some mineral deficiencies by enhancing digestion and increasing the efficiency of utilization of the deficient nutrient ( Underwood and Mertz, 1987 ) a strategy named «Depletion-Repletion» has been developed ( Lautrou et al, 2021 ). This strategy consists of reducing phosphorus and calcium input below the animal’s requirements over some period of growth and then increasing the supply as needed.…”

“…It induces an increase of phosphorus digestive efficiency and metabolic utilization and a decrease in phosphorus intake and excretion while maintaining growth and bone mineralization. Overall, the depletion–repletion strategy reduced dietary phosphate use and P release by about 40% ( Lautrou et al, 2021 ).…”

Dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol modulates gut microbiota and improves the growth, meat quality, and antioxidant status of growing-finishing pigs

“…Phosphorus (P) is essential for pig production, since it is a critical component of energy transfer molecules and nucleic acids, as well as an important mineral for bone development ( Lautrou et al, 2021 ). Sufficient P must be provided in cereal-based diets to support the growth and development of pigs.…”