January 26, 2024
US universities collaborate on project for sustainable poultry production
Recent research highlighting the potential negative impacts of restricting antibiotics in poultry production has prompted a collaborative effort between the University of Connecticut and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) to ensure the sustainability of poultry production, Prairie View A&M University reported.
The United States, as the largest global producer of poultry, faces changing regulations, particularly the US Food and Drug Administration's plan to phase out antibiotic growth promoters in broiler production. The collaborative project, titled "Systems-Based Integrated Programme for Enhancing the Sustainability of Antibiotic-Restricted Poultry Production," aims to address bird health, production efficiency, environmental concerns, and economic returns.
Led by UConn's CAHNR associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Dr Kumar Venkitanarayanan, the project brings together researchers from PVAMU, industry partners, and government agencies. With a focus on improving bird, human, and environmental health, the project has received US$10 million in funding from the US Department of Agriculture, with PVAMU receiving a sub-award of US$450,000.
PVAMU's vice president of Research and Innovation, Dr Magesh Rajan, emphasised the significance of the collaboration, stating that it paves the way for breakthroughs in energy engineering. The project aligns with PVAMU's Centre for Energy & Environmental Sustainability's commitment to advancing research in food safety, agricultural production, and energy engineering.
The project's principal investigator, Dr Venkitanarayanan, will collaborate with PVAMU's Dr Raghava Kommalapati, director of the NSF-funded Centre for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, and Dr Hongbo Du. Dr Kommalapati's team focuses on developing tools to monitor air quality in poultry houses and conducting life cycle analysis for converting poultry litter into high-value products.
Dr Kommalapati, having recently completed a USDA project on goat manure, is now engaged in finding treatment methods for reusing poultry slaughterhouse wastewater and efficient solid waste disposal with energy recovery.
- Prairie View A&M University
