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IPEMA ‒ Innovative Approaches for Pork Production with Entire Males is a COST action (CA 15215)

The COST ACTION 15215 IPEMA Training schools (TS) have IPEMA objectives as their main focus and may also cover appropriate re-training as part of life-long learning.

Educational events and training schools can be organized as online or face to face sessions where the general public, students and professionals can find out news and relevant information, learn techniques, methodologies and know-how related to the IPEMA objectives.

The TS that were developed to the date are:

- HARMONISATION OF METHODS IN ENTIRE MALE AND IMMUNOCASTRATE RESEARCH (Ljubljana, November 20-22, 2017)

- METHODS FOR ASSESSOR SELECTION, GOOD SENSORY PRACTICE AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION - IRTA Monells (Girona, Spain), 8-10 October 2018) (PART 1 AND PART 2)

The main area covered by the presentations from IPEMA TRAINING pages are:

- SENSORY EVALUATION

- CONSUMER STUDIES

- INSTRUMENTAL / ANALYTICAL METHODS

- MEAT QUALITY

- ANIMAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCE (muscle and fat tissue analysis, welfare, behaviour, endocrine parameters to assess testicular function, body composition, anatomy of reproductive tract, gastric ulcers, nutritional and environmental aspects)

- DATA ANALYSIS

For more information go to: http://www.ca-ipema.eu/

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IPEMA ‒ Innovative Approaches for Pork Production with Entire Males is a COST action (CA 15215) supported by the European Union within the framework programme Horizon 2020. Its main objective is to bring together the scientists and practitioners interested in the challenges that pork production sector is facing due to the ending of the practice of surgical castration of male piglets and who are conducting the research or evaluation of two most viable alternatives a) raising of entire males, and b) immunocastration.

Present publication results from the Training school on Harmonisation of methods in entire male and immunocastrate research organised in the frame of IPEMA, which had for the objective the presentation of wide spectre of research methods relevant for addressing the questions of interest or research hypotheses in studies of entire male and immunocastrate production. The emphasis was on the harmonisation of methodological approach in joint research projects. The goal of the training school was to help trainees understand which are the knowledge gaps in the respective research area and which methods to use (in harmonised way) to answer the research questions. The training school was conducted in collaboration with H2020 ERA-NET project SuSI (Sustainability of pig production with immunocastration) which represented or served as a case study of a joint research project. The methodology presented covered analytical procedures of boar taint substances, methods for on-line detection of boar taint, muscle and fat tissue analysis, welfare, behaviour, endocrine parameters to assess testicular function, body composition, carcass and meat quality, anatomy of reproductive tract, gastric ulcers, nutritional and environmental aspects, demonstrating multidisciplinary approach in searching of new knowledge and solutions for challenges in pork production with immunocastration.

The training school was held from 20th to 22nd November. It was attended by 27 trainees from 15 countries, 18 of them were from Target Inclusiveness Countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, FYR Macedonia, Serbia). The lectures given during the training school are compiled in the present handbook to serve as basic information and guidelines on methodological aspects.

Ulrike Weiler, IPEMA Chair

Marjeta Čandek-Potokar, editor of the Ljubljana Trainings School, 2017