URBANA, Ill. – Rye has not traditionally been used as an ingredient in pig diets in the United States, but researchers from the University of Illinois are now investigating the digestibility of nutrients in the grain.

Older hybrids of rye had low yields, potential for toxic fungal contamination, and limited market demand. The little rye grown in the U.S. is typically consumed by humans in breads and other baked products or used in the beverage industry. But thanks to breeding advancements in Europe over the past 20 years, hybrid rye is producing far greater yields and is less susceptible to fungal contamination. Now those varieties are coming to the U.S. and Canada. (Read more...)