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Dairy farming

Towards a sustainable dairy farming – we empower a future-proof dairy farming

Dairy farming faces the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using resources as efficiently as possible. A smaller carbon footprint of dairy products is the key to sustainable dairy farming. One of the components of the CO2 footprint is the methane emission from cows, and the Dutch dairy sector faces the challenge of reducing methane emissions by 0.8 Mt by 2030, and even further by 2050. The currently available technologies and solutions are insufficient to achieve these national targets.

By responding better to the needs and potential of each individual cow, great strides can be made in reducing the CO2 footprint and increasing resource use efficiency. In order to better manage the individual cow, it is necessary to improve our current understanding of biology, to develop sensors that can measure the entire input (feed and water intake) and output (methane, urine, manure, milk) individually, and to provide decision support based on the collected data. In this project, a new housing system is being developed in collaboration with Synergia (https://technology4ecology.org/), resulting in reduced emissions and improved efficiency.

Using computer vision to estimate feed weight in dairy barns

The ability to measure individual feed intake has been a desire from the dairy industry for long, in order to breed for feed efficiency, but also to support farm management decisions. In addition, changes in feed intake and feeding behaviour are indicators of disease (e.g. ketosis, lameness) in dairy cows. Roughage intake control bins are [ … ]

First meeting AGROS – Exchange between the three sectors

On May 31, 2022 representatives of the 3 sectors were invited to share experiences within AGROS. Some 20 participants listened to the visions that are the basis for the activities per sector. Renske Landeweert (IMEC-One Planet) kicked off with their vision on the developments in data use. IMEC-One Planet works at the forefront of chip [ … ]

Sensor and livestock experts join forces to improve diagnostics in dairy cattle

Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and Radboud University (RU) are collaborating strongly to further advance the sensing potential for diseases and resource use efficiency of dairy cows. On 3rd May the Life Science Trace Detection Laboratory of RU hosted researchers and PhD students from WUR, to share their experience with state-of-the-art laboratory technologies that can [ … ]

Genetische verschillen

(Genetic) differences between dairy cows in feed digestibility

An important challenge for the 21st century is to create a sustainable food system. Dairy farmers face challenges such as limiting greenhouse gas emissions and preventing nutrient losses to the environment. At the same time, profitability remains important, and feed represents one of the major production costs on dairy farms. Therefore, to improve the resource [ … ]

Breath provides insight into the health of individual cows

Traditionally, milk, blood and urine samples have been used to monitor dairy cows under field conditions. Exhaled air from the dairy cow is mainly used for monitoring methane emissions, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the long term. Breath, which consists of a complex mixture of molecules, can also provide valuable insights [ … ]

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