2014-2015 Provost Lecture Series
Livestock Agriculture: Perspectives, Challenges, and the Australian Experience
Friday, October 24, 2014
3:30 p.m.
Hemisphere Room
5th floor, Hale Library
Dr. John Pluske
Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences
Professor in the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Murdoch University, Perth Western Australia
Biographical Sketch
Professor John Pluske [BSc(Agric), PhD, RAnNutr.], Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences at Kansas State University and Professor in the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences at Murdoch University, Perth Western Australia, has over 20 years of experience working in agricultural research, teaching, and interactions with industry in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. His specific research interests include swine nutrition and the digestive physiology of pigs, particularly piglets and weanling pigs, the interrelationships between nutrition and enteric diseases of pigs in the absence of antimicrobial compounds, and the roles that nutrition and the environment play in modifying immune function and the gastrointestinal bacterial ecosystem. In his time at Murdoch University, Professor Pluske has held appointments as Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Development) and Director of Research and Development, Director of the Animal Research Institute, and Associate Faculty Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Abstract:
Rural economies continue to invest in livestock agriculture and contribute significantly to the protein and energy needs of individuals globally. World demand for meat has increased due in part to rising incomes, with consumption of pork being greater than any other meat. However some practices to produce pork are increasingly under societal focus, with issues such as animal welfare, the environment, food safety, and antibiotic resistance appearing regularly in the media and on-line. In this lecture, and using his own research and industry-based experiences, Professor John Pluske will outline current trends in livestock production, describe current perspectives and challenges facing the pork industry in Australia, and explore opportunities for shared experiences between Australia and the USA in the future.
