2026 Partnership Program Report
Dr. Jay S. Johnson, ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº Division of Animal Sciences
Dr. Este van Marle-Koester, University of Pretoria
Jan. 10–19, 2026
Background
Heat stress represents a critical and escalating challenge to global swine production, influencing animal welfare, reproductive efficiency, growth performance, and overall production sustainability. Elevated ambient temperatures disrupt fundamental physiological processes, alter behavior, and impair productivity across all stages of production. These impacts are particularly consequential in regions with prolonged periods of high environmental heat load, including major pork-producing areas of South Africa. Similar challenges are increasingly observed in the United States and other pork-producing regions, underscoring the global nature of heat stress as both a biological and economic constraint.
Modern swine production systems face a complex intersection of environmental pressures, genetic selection for productivity, and increasing societal emphasis on animal welfare and sustainability. Advances in genetic selection have improved production efficiency but have also increased metabolic heat production and thermal sensitivity, increasing the importance of precision environmental management strategies. Consequently, science-based tools that integrate physiology, behavior, and environmental conditions are essential for improving decision-making within contemporary livestock systems.
This visit directly supports a recently awarded ongoing research and extension effort funded through a USDA-NIFA IDEAS grant titled “Partnership: Expanding decision support tools to mitigate heat stress in global swine production.†The IDEAS program emphasizes the development of innovative, high-impact research coupled with strong extension outcomes. A central objective of the IDEAS project is the refinement and expansion of the HotHog smartphone application to provide updated, evidence-based environmental management guidance across multiple production stages. This work is designed to generate practical, data-driven tools that enhance animal welfare, optimize productivity, and improve environmental resource utilization.
Complementing the IDEAS award, this visit was conducted under the South African Partnerships / UMSAEP Program through the project “Mitigating heat stress to enhance global swine production sustainability: A strategic partnership between South Africa and the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº.†This collaborative initiative focuses on validating physiological and behavioral indicators of heat stress within South African commercial swine systems and refining precision decision-support technologies for regionally relevant application. Importantly, the project integrates research objectives with producer-focused outreach, emphasizing technology transfer, capacity building, and science-based management strategies.
South Africa provides a scientifically valuable and globally relevant production environment for evaluating heat stress biology due to its climatic variability, diverse housing systems, and distinct management practices. Collaborative research across these systems enhances the robustness, generalizability, and international applicability of heat stress mitigation strategies. Furthermore, direct engagement with producers ensures that research output remains grounded in practical industry needs.
Collectively, the IDEAS award and South African Partnerships Program support a unified research framework aimed at advancing precision livestock management, improving animal welfare outcomes, strengthening producer decision-making, and enhancing the sustainability and resilience of global swine production systems.
Objectives
The objectives of this visit were to strengthen collaborative research efforts between the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº and the University of Pretoria, engage directly with South African swine producers to better understand heat stress-related challenges and management strategies, support the summer repetition of an ongoing research trial evaluating physiological and behavioral responses to heat stress, and advance discussions on outreach strategies designed to enhance producer adoption of the HotHog smartphone application.
Achievements
Several important outcomes were achieved during the visit. Site visits were conducted at Malu Pork in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, and in Fochville, Gauteng/North West, South Africa. Two production sites were visited at Malu Pork, including their high biosecurity farrow-to-finish facility. At this site, physiological and environmental monitoring systems were successfully deployed, including internal body temperature monitors, remote behavioral cameras, and barn environmental monitoring devices, to support the summer repetition of the collaborative heat stress research trial. Extensive discussions were held with producers regarding identification of behavioral and physiological indicators of heat stress, the application of ventilation and cooling technologies, welfare considerations, and comparisons of production practices between South Africa and the United States. These discussions also included evaluation of the potential role of differing genetic lines in environmental adaptation and performance.
The research trial was led by Mr. Daniel Bryant, an M.S. student co-advised by Dr. Este van Marle-Koester and Dr. Jay S. Johnson. Both advisors assisted with trial setup, reviewed previously collected data, and provided recommendations for additional analyses and refinement of the planned peer-reviewed publication and graduate thesis.
An all-day meeting was conducted with Chemunique Ltd., during which a presentation was delivered on current research efforts related to heat stress prevention and mitigation in pigs. Scientists from Chemunique Ltd. shared their ongoing research activities across multiple livestock species, including poultry, beef cattle, and dairy cattle. Discussions included broader perspectives on the South African livestock industry, experimental design considerations, and interpretation strategies for improved communication of research outcomes to producers.
Additionally, meetings were held with the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO), where discussions focused on strategies for deployment and adoption of the HotHog application among South African producers, opportunities for collaborative outreach events, and broader swine welfare considerations within the South African industry, including disease prevention and management challenges.
During visits to Taaibosch Piggery, discussions were conducted with the owner regarding HotHog application use within their production system. The producer agreed to utilize the application and provide feedback on functionality. Furthermore, Taaibosch Piggery agreed to provide historical production data to support graduate research conducted by Ms. Sanchia Strijdom, an M.S. student co-advised by Dr. van Marle-Koester and Dr. Johnson. Meetings were conducted with Ms. Strijdom at the University of Pretoria to review thesis progress, discuss analytical approaches, and explore integration of farm data with HotHog predictive outputs.
Quantified outcomes from this visit included engagement with two commercial swine operations (Malu Pork and Taaibosch Piggery) across three production sites (two at Malu Pork and one at Taaibosch Piggery), deployment of monitoring systems at the Malu Pork high biosecurity farrow-to-finish site (internal body temperature monitors, remote behavioral cameras, and barn environment monitors), one full-day industry R&D exchange meeting with Chemunique Ltd., one strategic deployment meeting with the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO), and research progress meetings with two University of Pretoria graduate students (Mr. Daniel Bryant and Ms. Sanchia Strijdom) to advance data analysis plans and thesis/manuscript development.
Challenges
While the visit was highly productive, several implementation challenges were identified that are important for ensuring consistency and comparability of field-based measurements. Differences in facility design and ventilation configuration across South African production systems, particularly airflow patterns, inlet placement, and barn layout, can influence where environmental sensors should be positioned to generate representative barn-level data. In addition, variation in cooling infrastructure and the way ventilation and cooling technologies are managed during hot periods introduces differences in animal exposure and response that must be accounted for when interpreting physiological and behavioral indicators of heat stress. Finally, the inherent logistical demands of deploying sensors in commercial settings, including maintaining consistent placement, ensuring reliable recording across environments, and standardizing behavioral observation approaches, remain important considerations for maximizing data quality and interpretation.
Changes and Improvements
Changes and improvements resulting from this visit primarily centered on enhancing methodological alignment, refining data collection strategies, and improving technology deployment under South African production conditions. Differences in facility design, ventilation systems, and environmental variability highlighted the need for adjustments to sensor placement protocols to ensure consistent environmental measurements across. As a result, modifications were made to standardize logger positioning relative to animal space and ventilation inlets.
Additionally, variability in cooling infrastructure and management practices across farms necessitated refinements to behavioral observation frameworks. Specific adjustments were made to better account for regionally relevant thermoregulatory behaviors and management-driven animal responses, thereby improving interpretation of behavioral indicators of heat stress.
From a technology perspective, discussions with producers revealed opportunities to improve the clarity and contextual relevance of HotHog outputs. Planned improvements include refining user guidance language, adjusting environmental input recommendations to better reflect South African housing systems, and enhancing training materials to emphasize observable behavioral and physiological signs most relevant to local production environments.
Collectively, these changes will improve experimental consistency, strengthen cross-system comparability, and enhance the practical usability of precision decision-support tools within South African swine operations.
Future Outputs and Goals
Future outputs from these activities include (i) completion of Mr. Bryant’s M.S. thesis and preparation of an associated peer-reviewed manuscript evaluating physiological and behavioral indicators of heat stress under South African conditions, (ii) completion of Ms. Strijdom’s M.S. thesis and preparation of a manuscript assessing the predictive performance of HotHog using Taaibosch Piggery and Malu Pork historical production and health data, and (iii) development of follow-up proposals and industry-supported outreach events (e.g., producer trainings/field days in partnership with SAPPO and collaborating farms) that build on the USDA-NIFA-funded efforts to scale adoption and validation of HotHog in South Africa.
Insights gained during the visit informed several areas for refinement. Discussions with producers and collaborators identified opportunities to tailor HotHog outputs, training materials, and extension strategies to better align with South African production environments.
Additionally, methodological refinements related to sensor deployment strategies, behavioral assessment approaches, and analytical frameworks were identified. These changes will enhance experimental rigor, improve technology usability, and strengthen the practical relevance of extension outputs. This work was supported by the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº South Africa Education Program (UMSAEP) / South African Partnerships Program, with essential hosting and in-kind support provided by the University of Pretoria and valuable participation from Malu Pork, Taaibosch Piggery, Chemunique Ltd., and the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO).
Benefits of the UMSAEP Program to MU
Participation in the South African Partnerships / UMSAEP Program provided substantial benefits to the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº. The visit strengthened international research collaborations, expanded engagement with global livestock industry stakeholders, and enhanced the global applicability of ongoing heat stress research initiatives. These activities support graduate training, foster international partnerships, and contribute to the ÎçҹӰԺ’s strategic priorities related to research impact, global engagement, and development of science-based solutions for climate-related challenges in animal agriculture.
Acknowledgements
I gratefully acknowledge the support of the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº South Africa Education Program (UMSAEP) and the South African Partnerships Program for providing the resources that made this visit possible. This program plays a critical role in fostering international research collaboration, strengthening institutional partnerships, and advancing globally relevant scholarship.
I extend sincere appreciation to Dr. Este van Marle-Koester and colleagues at the University of Pretoria for their generous hospitality, collaboration, and continued commitment to this partnership. I also thank the participating industry partners, including Malu Pork, Taaibosch Piggery , Chemunique Ltd., and the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO), for their engagement, openness, and valuable contributions to these collaborative efforts.
The opportunities facilitated through UMSAEP have been instrumental in advancing research initiatives, enhancing graduate training, expanding international engagement, and strengthening the global impact of the ÎçҹӰԺ’s programs in animal sciences.
Documented Visit Activities
