Research progress on precision breeding and intelligent sensing technologies for sows

The growth conditions, reproductive performance, and health status of sows are important indicators for swine farm management. It directly relates to the economic benefits of pig farm. There are still prominent problems for sow farming in China, such as low level of production management intelligence, inefficient health management, and low productivity, which restrict the high-quality development of breeding industry in China. This article reviewed the research and development status of growth, physiological and health monitoring in precision breeding management of sows from three aspects, including sow growth information perception technology, reproductive behavior monitoring technology, and health status perception technology. The weak links of precision breeding technologies for sows were analyzed. The suggestions for the construction of future intelligent control system for sow breeding were proposed, and the development trends of precision breeding technologies for sows were prospected. This work aims to provide references for the green, efficient and intelligent transformation and upgrading of pig farming industry and the construction of intelligent pig farm in China.