Hybrid rye to reduce the environmental impacts of pig production

Hybrid Rye Could Be a Win-Win for Quebec Pork Producers and the Environment

Feed production — especially corn — accounts for more than half of the environmental footprint of Quebec pork. Researchers at Université Laval looked at whether replacing corn with locally grown hybrid rye could shrink that footprint without hurting pig performance.

Using a method called life cycle assessment (LCA), they measured the environmental impact of feeding finishing pigs rations where 25% or 50% of the corn was swapped out for hybrid rye. Pig growth performance was assumed to stay the same, which aligns with existing research.

Replacing 50% of corn with rye reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12%, and cut freshwater nutrient pollution by up to 77% when crop rotation benefits were included. Land use was the one trade-off, increasing slightly due to rye's lower yield compared to corn.

For producers, this is promising news. Hybrid rye is agronomically sound, requires fewer pesticides, and improves soil health. The economics also work — grain farmers in a corn-soy-rye rotation can see better profitability as early as their second rotation cycle.