Researchers Explore Organic Hybrid Rye as Pig Feed

The University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center has been experimenting with organic pig production since 2017. A current research project involves making use of organic hybrid rye cover crops as feed. Researchers are working to identify the price points when it makes sense for producers to switch from organic corn to a percentage of organic hybrid rye for pig feed. Meanwhile, their testing shows that pigs like the hybrid rye as a feed, and that the hybrid rye crop can, in turn, be fertilized with pig manure. The project also encompasses the nutrition aspects of the hybrid rye feed and how it may affect meat quality.