By Bruce CochraneA researcher with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development says the speed with which feed ingredient quality can be assessed using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy is the main factor driving interest among pork producers in the technology. Researchers with the University of Alberta and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development have developed a Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy calibration to predict barley digestible energy. NIR will be among the technologies examined during a Canadian Feed Technology Course being offered April 17th to 19th in Winnipeg by the Canadian International Grains Institute, in conjunction with the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada. Dr. Mary Lou Swift, a Research Scientist Feed Quality with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, notes within 30 seconds you can scan a sample of barley or wheat and obtain up to 60 different values so it saves a lot of time and money. Dr. Mary Lou Swift-Alberta Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentAudio Newsletter: Full Interview: Near Infrared or NIR as we commonly call it uses the principles of light energy to indirectly measure the amount of materials like protein, starch, fat, etceteras that are in feedstuffs and forages. The interest has been spurred on by the fact that NIR is a rapid evaluation method. Within 30 seconds you can, what we call, scan a sample of barley or wheat and obtain up to 60 different values so it saves a lot of time in terms of what chemistry and in money. I think that is really spurring on, especially with the development of specialized equations like digestible energy or digestible fibre that can be used to count the pennies I think when it comes to formulating animal feeds. Dr. Swift notes some estimates range as high as eight dollars per pig that can be saved if energy can accurately be assessed in barley.