USDA's Agricultural Research Service Honors Scientists of the Year

Apr 14, 2022

For his outstanding contributions to veterinary virology and discovery and development of vaccines against African Swine Fever (ASF), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Manuel Borca is the agency's Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of the Year for 2022.

Borca, research microbiologist for ARS's Plum Island Animal Disease Control's Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit in Orient Point, New York, is one of many ARS researchers being honored for their scientific achievements.

Borca's research contributed to the vaccine development for diseases that pose threats to U.S. pork industries: Classical Swine Fever and ASF. He conducted research focused on understanding host-viral interactions to inform the development of vaccines specifically designed to control disease outbreaks.

Click here to see more...

Video: Feeding Faba Bean to Pigs - Dr. Eduardo Beltranena

In this special rerun episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Eduardo Beltranena from North Carolina State University explains how faba beans can be used in pig diets as a source of both starch and protein. He discusses environmental benefits, inclusion rates, frost-damaged beans, tannin concerns, cultivar selection, and how producers can compare faba beans against cereals and protein meals for cost-effective feeding. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Faba beans provide both starch and protein, competing directly with cereals in swine diets."

Meet the guest: Dr. Eduardo Beltranena / eduardo-beltranena-61660a1b2 is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University. He holds a Ph.D. in nutrition and reproduction interactions from the University of Alberta and has worked across swine production, feed industry nutrition, contract research, government research, teaching, and extension. His work focuses on swine nutrition, regional feedstuffs, and practical feed formulation. Learn more from Dr. Eduardo Beltranena on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.