Precision Livestock Farming Applications


Book Description

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technology is a reality. PLF is a combination of developing animal sensing (sensors) tools and decision-making process at the farm level. It also has the potential to support animal feed suppliers, human-food retailers and other players along the supply chain to make better choices. The current challenge for PLF is the integration of the technology in the majority of the farms and not only to the pioneering farms. This book consist of full-length peer-reviewed papers combined with 'questions and answers' sections. It is the result of a joint session hosted by the European Association of Animal Production and brings together research focusing on real-time interpretation of the combination of sensor development, industry, animal genetics, animal nutrition, and animal health. Unique of this 'cross-disciplinary' approach is that 'animal-focused' scientists, engineers, companies as well as farmers' organizations have interacted and combined their strengths and views. 'Precision Livestock Farming Applications - Making sense of sensors to support farm management' provides an update on the state of the art of PLF in interaction with the other scientific and applicative expertise. It is of interest for researchers, students, professionals, farmers, and livestock industry concerned with livestock production management.




Precision Dairy Farming 2016


Book Description

The supply of new innovative precision dairy farming technologies is steadily increasing. It aims to help farmers to be more labour efficient and to support them in their daily management decisions. At the same time, since many technologies are developed from an engineering perspective, adoption of these technologies is sometimes limited since knowledge on economic benefits and farmers' needs is often incomplete. This book covers the current status of precision dairy farming technologies and what farmers expect from them. It also includes insights and future perspectives on managing, analysing, and combining sensor information. Moreover, new innovative ideas that may better fit farmers' needs and expectation are introduced, ranging from technologies or innovations that aim at improved animal health and welfare, to those technologies that result in a more efficient use of feed and improved grazing management. This book is unique because science and engineering are combined to develop precision dairy farming technologies that are to be applied in practice. The book will serve as a stepping stone for new and innovative ideas within this rapidly growing area within dairy farming.




Digital technologies in agriculture and rural areas


Book Description

This report aims to identify the different scenarios where the process of digital transformation is taking place in agriculture. This identifies those aspects of basic conditions, such as those of infrastructure and networks, affordability, education and institutional support. In addition, enablers are identified, which are the factors that allow adopting and integrating changes in the production and decision-making processes. Finally identify through cases, existing literature and reports how substantive changes are taking place in the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture.




Information and Communication Technologies in Modern Agricultural Development


Book Description

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture, Food and Environment, HAICTA 2017, held in Chania, Crete, Greece, in September 2017. The 14 revised full papers presented in this book were carefully selected from the 55 accepted full papers out of 124 submissions. The selected papers span across various subjects, from ICT innovations and smart farming, to decision support systems, as well as precision farming, disease diagnosis using mobile devices, IoT for monitoring and controlling animal production, sensor-based solutions, GIS-based water management, environmental planning, information systems for monitoring of fish stocks and fisheries, information management in the agri-food sector, and forestry planning and management.




Information and Communication Technologies for Agriculture—Theme III: Decision


Book Description

This volume is the third (III) of four under the main themes of Digitizing Agriculture and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The four volumes cover rapidly developing processes including Sensors (I), Data (II), Decision (III), and Actions (IV). Volumes are related to ‘digital transformation” within agricultural production and provision systems, and in the context of Smart Farming Technology and Knowledge-based Agriculture. Content spans broadly from data mining and visualization to big data analytics and decision making, alongside with the sustainability aspects stemming from the digital transformation of farming. The four volumes comprise the outcome of the 12th EFITA Congress, also incorporating chapters that originated from select presentations of the Congress. The focus of this book (III) is on the transformation of collected information into valuable decisions and aims to shed light on how best to use digital technologies to reduce cost, inputs, and time, toward becoming more efficient and transparent. Fourteen chapters are grouped into 3 Sections. The first section of is dedicated to decisions in the value chain of agricultural products. The next section, titled Primary Production, elaborates on decision making for the improvement of processes taking place with the farm under the implementation of ICT. The last section is devoted to the development of innovative decision applications that also consider the protection of the environment, recognizing its importance in the preservation and considerate use of resources, as well as the mitigation of adverse impacts that are related to agricultural production. Planning and modeling the assessment of agricultural practices can provide farmers with valuable information prior to the execution of any task. This book provides a valuable reference for them as well as for those directly involved with decision making in planning and assessment of agricultural production. Specific advances covered in the volume: Modelling and Simulation of ICT-based agricultural systems Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) Planning for unmanned aerial systems Agri-robotics awareness and planning Smart livestock farming Sustainable strategic planning in agri-production Food business information systems




The Welfare of Pigs


Book Description

The domestic pig is perceived as an animal with intelligence and character and yet, in the industrialized world, the majority of people have had little or no contact with them. Pigs are subject to a wide range of environments from the tropics to the sub-arctic, ranging from small-scale, extensive systems to large-scale intensive systems. They may spend their whole life on one farm or may be subject to long-distance transport multiple times. Not surprisingly, many aspects of their life experiences can impact their welfare. This book brings together a team of leading pig welfare research scientists to review the natural history of the pig, the welfare of pigs at different stages of life and to indicate what the future holds in terms of pig welfare. The text is aimed at researchers and teachers working in veterinary and animal science together with those working in the pig industry and for governmental and non-governmental animal welfare organizations.




Innovative Biosystems Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production


Book Description

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of innovative biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture, forestry and food production. Focusing on the challenges of implementing sustainability in various contexts in the fields of biosystems engineering, it shows how the research has addressed the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources. It also presents possible solutions to help achieve sustainable production. The Mid-Term Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA) is part of a series of conferences, seminars and meetings that the AIIA organizes, together with other public and private stakeholders, to promote the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in the sector. The contributions included in the book were selected by means of a rigorous peer-review process, and offer an extensive and multidisciplinary overview of interesting solutions in the field of innovative biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture.




Computer Vision in Smart Agriculture and Crop Management


Book Description

This book is essential for anyone interested in understanding how smart agriculture, utilizing information and technology such as computer vision and deep learning, can revolutionize agriculture productivity, resolve ongoing concerns, and enhance economic and general effectiveness in farming. The need for a reliable food supply has driven the development of smart agriculture, which leverages technology to assist farmers, especially in remote areas. A key component is computer vision (CV) technology, which, combined with deep learning, can manage agricultural productivity and enhance automation systems for improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Automation in agriculture ensures benefits like reduced costs, high performance, and accuracy. Aerial imaging and high-throughput research enable effective crop monitoring and management. Computer vision and AI models aid in detecting plant health, impurities, and pests, supporting sustainable farming. This book explores using CV and AI to develop smart agriculture through deep learning, data mining, and intelligent applications.




Precision Agriculture Technology for Crop Farming


Book Description

This book provides a review of precision agriculture technology development, followed by a presentation of the state-of-the-art and future requirements of precision agriculture technology. It presents different styles of precision agriculture technologies suitable for large scale mechanized farming; highly automated community-based mechanized production; and fully mechanized farming practices commonly seen in emerging economic regions. The book emphasizes the introduction of core technical features of sensing, data processing and interpretation technologies, crop modeling and production control theory, intelligent machinery and field robots for precision agriculture production.