Trend report by Prof. Matthias Schick, EuroTier Innovations Committee; Strickhof und AgroVet-Strickhof, Eschikon 21, CH-8315 Lindau (CH); Digital solutions for herd management, quality assurance and smart farming; camera-based systems for monitoring health are competing against sensor systems related to individual animals
A variety of digital solutions concerning herd management, quality assurance and smart farming will be presented at this year’s EuroTier. The trends at the world’s leading platform for innovations from all areas of animal production are clearly heading in the direction of cross-manufacturer networking. In this process, camera-based systems for monitoring health are competing against sensor systems related to individual animals.
Contemporary, professional agriculture has a high need for innovations. Often, animal husbandry labor is still the most costly production factor, which is why innovative processes and systems for reducing the physical workload while simultaneously saving time are in great demand. Active health monitoring for improving animal health and animal welfare as well as for reducing health care costs is another clearly apparent theme among the innovations that have been announced.
Focus on networking
Networking actuators and sensors in the context of automation, digitalisation and smart farming is becoming increasingly important in the stable. In particular, cross-manufacturer approaches are in great demand there, whereby focus is initially being placed on simple sensor/actuator combinations. In a complex stable system, however, it is becoming increasingly important to combine all of the existing sensors in an on-farm bus system and to use this to support decision-making. Ideally, the blue milking robot, the red feeding robot and the green manure removal robot communicate with one another and independently optimise their work routines. Initial approaches to achieving this are also apparent at this year’s EuroTier.
Digitalisation, herd management and quality assurance trends
The megatrend of ‘digitalisation in agriculture’ is becoming increasingly commonplace in animal production. Automated and digital solutions are being considered in each new construction project in the agricultural sector. Digitalisation has already made its way into over 50% of all stables in the form of milking robots, automatic feeding systems and ventilation control systems. However, highly innovative trends are also apparent in conventional milking technology. For instance, one German manufacturer has evolved automated drying off in milking parlour operations to the point at which it can be used in practice and has integrated it into its herd management concept. This enables labour savings, improves animal welfare and reduces the use of antibiotics at the same time.
The focus in herd management is clearly on workload reduction and health monitoring. Nowadays, modern livestock farms are usually faced with ever increasing livestock populations while the number of staff is declining at the same time. Digital herd management systems involving sensors on each cow to register health, behaviour and performance are therefore becoming increasingly important. However, one currently emerging trend is also heading in the direction of camera-based health monitoring. This enables costs to be reduced and, by using AI, allows self-learning systems to be integrated in order to support decision-making.
Quality assurance is growing in importance in livestock husbandry and the subsequent production of food. Pursuing a system-based approach along the entire value chain is especially important in this context. Particular consideration has to be given to the focal issues of cost effectiveness and sustainability in implementing it.
Conclusion: ‘Incredible innovativeness’
The presentation of this year’s trends at EuroTier clearly demonstrates the incredible innovativeness of national and international companies in the animal production sector. It is certainly well worth a visit!
Also to mention that 150 world premieres have been registered at EuroTier 2022
Key criterion: All candidates registered in the EuroTier innovation award scheme must be products presented for the first time; From the 150 entries - all world premieres - 18 innovations won awards.
(DLG). The full list of the 150 qualifying candidates considered for a EuroTier innovation award has been published. In order to take part in the EuroTier award scheme, one of the key criteria is that the innovation will be presented to the public for the first time at the exhibition, 15-18 November 2022.