What was the challenge/problem addressed?
Proper feeding is important for cattle wellbeing and productivity of dairy farms. Maximizing milk yield requires regular monitoring of silage quality. The amount of concentrated feed fed depends on the dry matter content of silage. Economic impact can be significant if too dilute or concentrated total mixed ration (TMR) is fed resulting in milk yield reduction or extra bought-in feed costs. Still, in general, the process of adjusting TMR recipes requires several steps and operators and cannot be done on a daily or a lot-by-lot basis.
Hoe heb je het probleem opgelost??
Smartfeed EIP-AGRI project developed silage quality monitoring system improving time management by combining work tasks and providing tools to measure dry matter and edit feeding recipe on site. The developed system was piloted at farms and user feedback was collected.
The developed monitoring system consisted of three parts.
At first, a new silage sampler attached to a bale gripper was designed. The sampler consists of a sampling tube and a support spike attached to a pivotable adapter allowing the probe to be folded down for other work tasks. A sampling bag can be fastened to the end of the sampling tube to collect the samples.
ten tweede, a moisture analyser was tested for on-farm DM measurement of silage and TMR samples. Suitable methods were selected and compared to oven drying. The methods showed good correlation to the reference method. The method for silage samples gave systematically slightly lower values compared to oven drying (average deviation -4.8 %). The difference can be corrected by a coefficient (1.05x) that is valid at least for timothy-fescue grass, clover grass and whole crop silage. TMR measurements were accurate without correction coefficient.
Thirdly, an Android application was designed to adjust TMR recipes. The application calculates the changes in the amounts of different components of a TMR recipe in situations where the DM% of silage changes or the amount of component is changed. Dus, farmers are able to react to changes in dry matter as quickly as possible.
Smartfeed aimed to tackle also other nutrition-related challenges. Another significant challenge is a lack of monitoring nutritional level of individual cows, in particularly after calving. For this purpose, there was an aim to develop biosensor solution. Aan het einde van het project, biosensor technology that appeared to work reliably in milk was found but there is still lot of work to do for measurement device itself. The project compared various methods, technologies and on-line forecasting services for evaluation of the best harvesting time of silage. The results were published as an article in Finnish Farmers’ magazine. Similarly, the project compared two silage drills marketed in Finland, evaluated their usability and properties, determined sample weight, how constant it was and did sample really represent through-cut of bale. Results of this study were published in a journal targeted to professional people working with machines, including also farmers.
Wat is innovatief in jouw praktijkgeval?
The practical case of the “SMARTFEED” project introduced several innovations:
Technological Innovation: The development of advanced measurement tools and data transfer applications enabled dailyreal-time monitoring of feed quality and cattle health, providing farmers with precise information to optimize feeding practices.
New Products and Services: The project introduced new products such as silage sampler, method for quick dry matter determination at farm and FeedApp for easy daily adjustment of TMR recipe.
Market Innovations: By offering solutions to longstanding challenges in feed quality control. SMARTFEED created opportunities for improved productivity and cost reduction in cattle farming, potentially influencing market dynamics in the agricultural sector.
Social/Organizational Innovations: Collaboration between farmers, technology providers, and agricultural experts fostered knowledge exchange and co-development, facilitating the adoption of innovative solutions and promoting best practices in cattle farming. This collaborative approach also contributed to the dissemination of knowledge and expertise among stakeholders, promoting sustainable agricultural development.
Wat zijn de succesfactoren bij het oplossen van het probleem??
Several key success factors contributed to solving the problem in the SMARTFEED project:
Samenwerking: The project involved collaboration between farmers, technology providers, and agricultural experts, leveraging their combined knowledge and expertise to develop effective solutions tailored to the needs of the agricultural sector.
Innovation: The project embraced technological innovation, introducing advanced measurement tools and data transfer applications to monitor feed quality and cattle health in real-time, addressing longstanding challenges in cattle farming.
Practical Implementation: Solutions developed in the project were piloted on farms to ensure their practicality and effectiveness in real-world settings, allowing for adjustments and refinements based on feedback from farmers and stakeholders.
Knowledge Transfer: The project facilitated knowledge exchange and capacity building among stakeholders, empowering farmers with the skills and information needed to adopt and utilize innovative technologies effectively.
Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle ensured their buy-in and support, fostering ownership and sustainability of solutions implemented in cattle farming practices.
Les geleerd
Collaboration is Key: The project underscores the importance of collaboration between various stakeholders, including farmers, technology providers, and agricultural experts. This collaboration allows for the pooling of knowledge and expertise to develop effective solutions tailored to the needs of the agricultural sector.
Innovation Drives Progress: Embracing technological innovation is crucial for addressing challenges in agriculture. The development of advanced measurement tools and data transfer applications demonstrates the value of innovation in improving productivity and efficiency in cattle farming.
Practical Implementation Matters: Implementing solutions in real-world settings is essential to ensure their practicality and effectiveness. Piloting the developed solutions on farms allows for feedback from farmers and stakeholders, enabling adjustments and refinements as needed.
Knowledge Transfer is Essential: Facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity building among stakeholders empowers farmers with the skills and information needed to adopt and utilize innovative technologies effectively. This promotes sustainable agricultural development and ensures the long-term success of implemented solutions.
Stakeholder Engagement is Crucial: Engaging stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle fosters their buy-in and support, ensuring ownership and sustainability of implemented solutions. This highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in driving positive change in agriculture.
What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?
Pirkko Korhonen and Minna Tanner from ProAgria Eastern Finland acted as advisors in the project. The project included test plots in the fields, where feed sampling was carried out as an advisory service. Dry matter meters were also tested. A halogen dryer was selected for calibration in the laboratory. The project resulted in formulas that make the equipment reliable to use on the farm. The equipment was distributed to the farms at low cost. Tiina calculated the effects of dry matter economically, including the effect on silage. The advisory work also included training on how to use the equipment on farms. The third test was the testing of ketones, which concluded that the blood test was the most reliable, but the slate test was easier in practice. With the support of the advisors, a comparison was made with the milk monitoring samples. These showed that high fat protein levels in the early milking period lead to lower rumination later on.
Kan jouw aanpak worden overgedragen en/of aangepast voor andere innovatie-uitdagingen en regio's??
Ja
Geschatte overdraagbaarheid op een schaal van 1 naar 5
(waar 1 is gemakkelijk en 5 erg moeilijk)
4
Voor het delen van de ervaringen met de goede praktijken, Neem contact op
Pekka Kilpeläinen
e-mailen: pekka.t.kilpelainen@oulu.fi, tel: (+358) 0294 488 111
Link to external information