Short description
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This multidisciplinary project seeks to integrate and extend existing state of the art technologies to ensure sustainable and responsible management of dairy units, with focus on cow health, milk quality and reduced emissions. We shall focus on milk metabolomic methods for determination of metabolic health, biomarker technologies for assessment of systemic health and accelerometer collars for measuring various activities including feeding behaviour, and hence intake. We shall also have access to NIR technology for feed quality assessment and rumen-bolus technology for measurment of rumen pH. We have advanced teleonomic technologies that will enable us to integrate these input data into decision support tools. Our technologies will monitor animals and environment, detect deviations from the normal state and either respond automatically to restore the normal state or issue an alert to husbandry staff. We have access to a range of dairy units for evaluation of the technologies.
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Methods
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The basic means of achieving the objectives will be through a process of focused and significant advancement of two existing state of the art technologies, which are already in our possession (Herd Navigator milk metabolomics and Silent Herdsman accelerometer collars), in combination with development of automated biomarker sampling technologies. We will integrate these technologies using advanced teleonomic modeling to construct Decision Support Tools. To help us achieve our targets, in addition to the broad range of expertises present within the consortium, we also have access to academic and technological input from a number of collaborators, including several SMEs, who are our partners in a larger consortium. For instance, advice regarding automated NIR feed analysis will be available from UNIPD, whilst the Austrian SME SmaXtec will provide advice regarding rumen pH sensing technology to support development of milk metabolomics. The work plan will involve animal scientists, engineers, veterinarians and computer scientists. The work plan comprises a total of ten Tasks, four of which are at the level of biological sensing (T.S.x), four at the level of teleonomic modeling (T.T.x) and two at the level of on-farm implementation (T.I.1). The first eight tasks will be accomplished within a two year timeframe, with the implementation tasks continuing into year 3.
T.S.3 Development of novel biomarker sampling methodologies
Task Leader: UoC – Partners involved: UNIBE
Methods for collecting samples of bovine sweat, saliva, hair and modified milks that can subsequently be automated (using a robotic arm) and that yield a spectrum of time-related data (from minutes to months) will be developed and validated for analysis of systemic-stress related biomarkers. Collections will be done at UNIBE using the dairy cow research facilities at Posieux, and samples will be analysed at UoC and UNIBE. The outcome from this task will be technologies that will subsequently, through further commercial development, enable the non-invasive collection of relevant biomaterials from dairy cows during the milking process in an automated milking system. Methods for collecting samples of bovine sweat, saliva, hair and modified milks that can subsequently be automated (using a robotic arm) and that yield a spectrum of time-related data (from minutes to months) will be developed and validated for analysis of systemic-stress related biomarkers. Collections will be done at UNIBE using the dairy cow research facilities at Posieux, and samples will be analysed at UoC and UNIBE. The outcome from this task will be technologies that will subsequently, through further commercial development, enable the non-invasive collection of relevant biomaterials from dairy cows during the milking process in an automated milking system.
T.S.4 Detection of sub-acute ruminal acidosis using milk metabolomics
Task Leader: AU - Participants involved: UNIBE
Identification of biomarkers in milk for early detection of sub-acute ruminal acidosis will be done at AU using intensive investigations on rumen cannulated dairy cows with permanent arterial catheters. Such cows are also available at UNIBE. This task will combine information from the rumen, blood, and milk to assess the metabolic challenge of sub-acute ruminal acidosis to identify early indicators of acidosis in milk. The proofing data will be obtained from sensors placed in the rumen together with advanced metabolomic technologies performed on biological matrixes. The outcome from T.S.4 will be technology that would subsequently, through further commercial development, enable an improved version of the commercially available Herd Navigator milk metabolomics system, capable of detecting sub-acute ruminal acidosis in addition to mastitis, ketosis and reproductive parameters. Identification of biomarkers in milk for early detection of sub-acute ruminal acidosis will be done at AU using intensive investigations on rumen cannulated dairy cows with permanent arterial catheters. Such cows are also available at UNIBE. This task will combine information from the rumen, blood, and milk to assess the metabolic challenge of sub-acute ruminal acidosis to identify early indicators of acidosis in milk. The proofing data will be obtained from sensors placed in the rumen together with advanced metabolomic technologies performed on biological matrixes. The outcome from T.S.4 will be technology that would subsequently, through further commercial development, enable an improved version of the commercially available Herd Navigator milk metabolomics system, capable of detecting sub-acute ruminal acidosis in addition to mastitis, ketosis and reproductive parameters.
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Project aims
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The overall objective is the development of a blueprint for a set of practical, precision ICT- and robotic-based technologies that will assist in the sustainable and responsible management of dairy production units. By having a number of partners with unique skills and access to various types of dairy unit, we aim to produce technologies that will be relevant to large producers but also to small, family units. Our technologies will monitor animals and their environment, detect deviations from the normal state and either respond automatically to restore the normal state or issue an alert to husbandry staff. The project will focus on the most important wellbeing and productivity issues within dairy production, and it will advance monitoring and diagnosis capability from clinical states (mastitis, for instance) to sub-clinical states (lameness, for instance). The specific objectives are:
- To develop robust accelerometer-based technologies for sensing of feeding activity and locomotion in individual dairy cows, and determine their utility for early detection of off-feed situations and lameness
- To develop robust technologies for sampling of biomarkers related to wellbeing in cows that are amenable to subsequent automation
- To develop milk metabolomics analysis capable of detecting sub-acute ruminal acidosis
- To develop implementable, integrated sensor-based systems providing decision support tools for on-farm use. Two interlinked approaches will be taken to achieve this
- To develop generic, real-time methods for efficient filtration, extraction and re-combination of information from diverse sensors to provide robust biological indicators.
- To develop tailored integrated solutions providing on-farm tools for monitoring nutritional status (digestive well-being, energy efficiency, etc.) and health status
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