Advances in Pig Breeding and Reproduction (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science)

In recent years, there have been significant developments in the way that pigs are bred. This is primarily as a result of a shift in focus from production traits, such as meat quality, to other traits such as improved feed efficiency, reproductive performance and disease resistance. In light of this shift, a greater understanding of reproduction efficiency in pigs is required. Advances in pig breeding and reproduction provides a comprehensive overview of the key research undertaken in these important areas and considers how reproduction efficiency can be optimised to achieve the desired breeding outcomes. The book also addresses recent advances in understanding how genetics can be engineered to breed pigs with an improved resistance to major diseases affecting pigs, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.