Previous papers in this series (1, 2) show apparent extra-nutrient effects of soybean meal (SBM) on pig performance in the commercial environment. SBM’s benefits have been documented for growth, viability, and medical intervention of pigs growing under conditions of both high and low immune stress. For example, dietary SBM contributed to the mitigation of severe growth-impairing effects of respiratory disease in finishing pigs. In a subsequent study, the need for medical intervention declined and the ability to thrive (live, grow) improved in Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv)-challenged nursery pigs in response to increasing dietary SBM content (3), as illustrated in Figure 1. Production improvements with low immune stress were reported by Cemin and coworkers (4) who reported a linear improvement in the ability of nursery pigs to thrive as dietary SBM level increased (6000 pigs, 2 systems).

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