Organic poultry farming, an increasingly important part of U.S. agriculture, prioritizes animal welfare, environmental protection, and high-quality products and has seen a significant rise in popularity in the recent past.

There are nearly 2,000 organic poultry farms in the U.S. according to 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including seven egg-producing farms in Connecticut. However, this sector still faces numerous obstacles, including disease management, feed availability, production efficiency, food safety, and effective marketing.

A $3.34 million USDA-NIFA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension grant led by UConn researcher Abhinav Upadhyay, assistant professor of animal science in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), will use cutting-edge scientific expertise to address some of these pressing challenges.

Other collaborating institutions include University of Minnesota, University of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, Tennessee State University, and USDA-ARS (Agricultural Research Service), Fayetteville, Arkansas.

“Since this effort is a collaboration between faculty from multiple universities, they bring in their expertise and unique perspectives and together as a team we become really strong,” Upadhyay says. “I am fortunate to have such partners.”

The project will focus on four primary research areas: microbial safety – ensuring that organic poultry products are safe for consumption by investigating and mitigating microbial hazards; gut health and production efficiency – enhancing the overall health and productivity of poultry through improved gut health management practices; product quality – elevating the quality of organic poultry products to meet and exceed consumer expectations; and consumer perception and cost – understanding and addressing consumer perceptions and the cost dynamics of organic poultry farming to improve marketability and acceptance.

“The goal of this project is not only to address the existing challenges in organic poultry farming but also to provide sustainable solutions that can be adopted globally,” Upadhyay says. “Our team comprises of young, mid-career, and senior scientists with extensive expertise in various aspects of poultry production and safety, making us well-equipped to tackle these issues from multiple angles.”

Microbial Safety

There are two pathogens of major concern for all poultry farmers – Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni. Combined, these pathogens are responsible for 2 million foodborne human infections each year in the U.S. alone.

“Our drive to include microbiological safety as our number one objective was to ensure that the products that come out on the market through organic poultry are safe for human consumption,” Upadhyay says.

The team will use active ingredients from cinnamon, oregano, and cloves essential oils as organic antimicrobials. Kumar Venkitanarayanan, CAHNR’s associate dean of research and graduate education and a co-investigator on the grant, has worked on this topic for years, establishing essential oils as an effective organic antimicrobial.

Because essential oils are just that – oils – they need to be modified to integrate smoothly into the chickens’ drinking water. Upadhyay and Yangchao Luo, associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and another co-investigator, will develop emulsions that will be used as drinking water supplements for layer chickens.

“Essential oils are amazing except for one challenge, which is that being an oil, they have low solubility in water,” Upadhyay says. “So, to overcome that, in this project we are developing water-soluble emulsions.”

This method is not only appropriate for organic farmers, but, as antibiotic growth promotors are banned, all poultry farmers could benefit from this technology.

Anup Kollanoor Johny ’11 (CAHNR) at the University of Minnesota will test the efficacy of the anti-Salmonella phytochemical emulsions in turkeys.

Mary Anne Amalaradjou, a co-investigator on the grant and associate professor of animal science at UConn, has demonstrated the efficacy of probiotics in improving health and growth of chickens.

This project will explore the potential of encapsulated probiotics to control the aforementioned pathogens in layer and broiler chickens.

The team will also test a novel vaccine that protects the birds against both pathogens using “killed” versions of the bacteria in-ovo.

Collaborators Palmy Jesudhasan, Komala Arsi, and Annie Donoghue at USDA-ARS will lead this initiative. The researchers will inject the birds when they are still in eggs and then test the chicks for an antibody response indicating the vaccine has effectively stimulated the immune system.

Gut Health and Production Efficiency

In addition to testing the antimicrobial potential of phytochemical emulsions and encapsulated probiotics, the team will investigate the potential of these interventions on the overall health and production efficiency in organic poultry through lab and field trials.

Pramir Maharjan at Tennessee State University will be leading the efforts on field studies alongside researchers from other participating institutions.

“The stakeholders from various regions of U.S. are willing to test our emulsion and probiotic treatments via field trials,” Upadhyay says. “This will generate critical data for us for future industry applications.”

Product Quality

Through our various interventions in the grant, we are focused on how we can improve the quality of organic eggs and meat for the farmers. — Abhinav Upadhyay

Zhenlei Xiao, co-investigator and associate professor in residence in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UConn,  and Casey Owens from the University of Arkansas will investigate the impact of supplementing poultry with phytochemical emulsions and probiotics on egg and meat quality.

Various trained sensory analysts will be recruited to determine the flavor profile and taste of the products.

“Through our various interventions in the grant, we are focused on how we can improve the quality of organic eggs and meat for the farmers,” Upadhyay says.

Consumer perception and cost

Currently, organic farmers face challenges competing with traditionally produced products because they are more expensive due to the higher production costs associated with organic farming.

Social scientists and agricultural economists on the project led by Jeda Thompson from the University of Arkansas will help farmers develop a marketing strategy to make their products more appealing to consumers and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of various approaches being developed in the project.

Extending Research to Stakeholders, Consumers, and Students

In collaboration with extension faculty from the University of Kentucky (Jacqueline Jacob), University of Minnesota (Anup Kollanoor Johny), and Tennessee State University (Pramir Maharjan), the project will disseminate their findings through conferences, workshops, social media, and webinars, targeting scientific communities, organic poultry producers, and the general public.

“This initiative aligns perfectly with the organic research and extension initiative goals” says Indu Upadhyaya, co-investigator and UConn food safety extension faculty on the project. “We are focusing on conducting advanced on-farm extension trainings and developing educational tools that will bring together end-users with the project team.”

Additionally, the project will develop instructional materials and a novel online certificate program to train the next generation of the workforce in organic poultry production, ensuring the longevity and impact of the project’s outcomes beyond the life of the grant.

“Through our education piece we are trying to have a long-lasting impression on the farmers and students who take the courses coming out of this project,” Upadhyay says.

The project underscores CAHNR’s commitment to advancing agricultural practices that promote a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry and food supply. By integrating research, extension, and education, the project aims to set new standards in organic poultry farming, contributing to the global effort to produce safer, healthier, and more sustainable food.