**7. Conclusions**

*Advances in Poultry Nutrition Research*

**6. Future research funding**

the following:

countries

countries

*Campylobacter*, etc.)]

• Disease risks

(e.g. maize)

• Limitation (in use of antibiotics)

**5. Future nutritional research focus**

will be influenced mostly by the following innovations:

• Perinatal nutrition and epigenetic programming

• Novel feed ingredients and feed additives

• Feed formulation softwares and feeding programmes

Advances in poultry breeding, emergence of new feed resources, consumer demands and climate change as well as environmental concerns have implications for future poultry nutritional research. Thus nutritional research focus, henceforth,

• Gastro-intestinal conditioners for gut health, birds' welfare and food safety

• Modern technologies for feed processing and feeding packages

A balance should be maintained between a long-term and short-term

research funding. Critical challenges needed to be addressed include

• Scarce research funds, particularly in developing countries

conditions, have created new avenues for future research

national level to avoid multiplicity of similar research)

• Prioritisation of limited research funds for nutritional research

• Basic research is relatively expensive and may hamper research in developing

• Diversion of research funds away from researches already conducted in developed countries that are relevant for application in developing

• The emergence of new demands from consumers, new disease situations, requirements to thrive on different feeding programmes and environmental

• In-country competitive research funds (i.e. coordination of research at a

• Animal welfare (e.g. hot climate, dietary manipulation, growth rate, etc.)

• Food safety [e.g. mineral residues, pathogens (*Salmonella*, *E. coli*,

• Competition between poultry and humans for feed ingredients

**12**

Nutritional research has contributed significantly to poultry production over the years. Its role in the poultry sector is more crucial than ever before in sustaining progress made in the sector as world population continues to increase at alarming rate. The progress in nutritional research is made possible by several advanced techniques that have been developed and tested by numerous researchers both in academia and industry. The appropriateness of any techniques to be used depends on the facilities available at the research site and the cost involved. Also, there is a need to maintain balance between research that may have future usefulness (fundamental research) and that which may be used immediately (applied or practical research) through application of scientific innovations. In future, nutrition objectives will require scientists to use extensive interdisciplinary approaches.
