Livestock Archives

IoT and Precision Livestock Farming (PLF)

Like the crop monitoring, IoT technology can be applied for Animals too. Through attached sensors for monitoring their health, performance, Activity and nutrition insights of each cow. It is a great job, the farmers can’t do with the perfection and especially for the large number of livestock and different animals.

Farmers in the U.S. lose nearly $2.4 billion per year from animal illnesses that lead to death, according to the USDA. In case of detecting Diseases or fertility/delivery cycle depending on farmers, once a symptom is detected, it is often too late!. And accordingly, the vet takes emergency measures rather than preventative measures. But when detecting variance in body temperature early, it would be better and accordingly, The vet can identify the cow’s condition in an early stage and take necessary action or precaution, thereby saving costs and more importantly, maintaining a healthy cow. And that is what Internet of Things can do for livestock.

Three cases on How IoT works for livestock

Cattle Movement & Behavior

Tracking your cows Not only to protect them from robbery but also tracking their movement details such as distances they walk daily. Tracking behavior and all anomalies in their eating, grazing patterns and socializing or lying down chewing the cud and sends the information to farmers. Knowing how often each of these behaviors occurs can allow farmers to monitor each cow health and finetune their herd’s feed requirements so they aren’t wasting food or overfeeding their livestock. Farmers can also use IoT devices to monitor feed levels so they know when a trough needs to be refilled or when they need to purchase more feed.

Cattle Health: Fertility- Pregnancy & Calving

Cows have a limited time period in which they are fertile. This period can be as little as 8–9 hours a month. IoT Sensor is used to detect the fertility period for cattle, and ensures that this critical window of fertility is accounted for each cow in the herd. Also Detecting cows pregnancy and monitoring the calving process help in promoting safer and more successful outcomes and eliminates the continuous supervision to check whether calving has started or not. These information can be collected automatically about each cow and sent through the internet to the farmer mobile/tablet device.

In the recent researches Biosensors are playing a great rule in detecting animal disease such as Mastitis , ovarian cysts , lameness , apparatus and hormone levels like progesterone.

Lactation

Robots can increase a dairy operation’s milk production by allowing cows to choose when they would like to be milked. IoT sensors built within wearable around the cow’s neck notify farmers when cow is about to be milked and personalizing the session for her. Also it tracks milk amount, speed and quality of milk produced and tracking the amount of food that the cow consumed and amount of steps taken in a day. With the help of the databases gained from cow’s activity, farmers can help the cow improve their diets to increase lactation.

IoT devices can get information about each cow in your herd such as: Temperature, PH, Heart rate, location, milking, feeding and many other parameters can be measured with real-time monitoring for each cows’ health in the farm and it leads to increase the farm’s efficiency, productivity and revenue. But the data provided by these devices over time can be more powerful, Gathering these tons of data give a full view and understanding to all aspects of the farm. And Analyzing it by using machine learning will provide important information and insights that may not be easily identified such as predicting diseases or discover its reasons. Finally we can say that Applying technology helps ranchers minimize operating costs, reduce animal losses, improve birthing success rates, and increase animal health and safety.

Sources: easternpeak.com – sigfox.com – precisionag.com

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Who is Responsible for Digitalizing Agriculture Extension?

Digitalizing "Agricultural Extension" or "Advisory Services" is the responsibility of Farmer, Government, Scientists & Researchers.

The plant is in need to a mechanism for growing, a harmonic between soil type, irrigation amount & times, weather, fertilizing, … and many other factors. Farmers may have the knowledge – through their fathers, communities, may be education or practices of agriculture techniques or their environments and systems But They still in need to other knowledge about the cause of the damage to a particular crop, the general principles of pest control, or the ways in which manure and compost are broken down to provide plants with nutrients. Today, in a world of 800 Million hunger, we need a farmer involved in the community Not isolated ! and melting the social definitions about farmers as a little job compared with other jobs. Farmers need motivation and self confidence. They need to learn more about business, prices, markets to be able to increase their revenue.

According to FAO, Agricultural Extension as a concept is “a process of working with rural people in order to improve their livelihoods. This involves helping farmers to improve the productivity of their agriculture and also developing their abilities to direct their own future development”.

And today after technological revolutions, It supposed to unify the way that farmers got the information and instead of exchanging these information in their rural communities, It can be shared in public. [Read also: Five Main Technologies change the future of Agriculture]

Digitalize the agricultural advisory will build two-way link between Farmers, Government, Scientists, university, Markets and all agricultural processes stakeholders.

Farmers

Farmers can get an access to productive services information on input supply, implementation of new production technologies, promotion of environmentally-friendly management methods and environmental protection, early warning systems for drought (pests and diseases) and how to protect their crops, credit, and market prices. Being a part of the agriculture life by Sharing their experiences and help in building new legal rules and reaching their voices to government.

Scientists & Researchers

Killing the gap between the scientists and the farmers. And scientists will find a gate of all real problems of agriculture sector and working to solve it.

Government

Unifying & Centralizing the agricultural data will give the government full access to tons of data about Soil, Diseases, Crops amount & quality & availability, connect to farmers, livestock, Diary production, Machinery & equipment … and many information and data about agriculture sector.

Finally, It is time to digitalize the Agriculture extension/Agricultural advisory by building centralized platform web/mobile app with different access availability to all stakeholders in agriculture sector. A two-way link solution collect/provide with information needed and By analyzing these tons of data, it can be turned into meaningful information and insights that will help in economic decisions and building strong strategy for improving the country production and the quality of product beside augmenting the farmers role in society. Also it will help in protecting plantations from risks such as climate fluctuations.