DigiMilk
Scheda del progetto
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Professor Margherita Dall’Asta
In the dairy cattle farming sector, it is essential to combine productive and economic efficiency with a reduction in environmental impact and animal welfare. The DigiMilk project aims to enhance animal performance and milk quality through the rational use of precision feeding tools, thereby reducing environmental impact and improving economic, social, and environmental sustainability. To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to monitor individual animals and the herd, quickly analysing data for timely interventions. This approach also applies to precision nutrition, improving feed quality and ration efficiency. Modelling in animal science is crucial for assessing various parameters and achieving more sustainable performance.
Increasing monitoring through sensors and precision feeding tools, as well as ensuring animal welfare, is fundamental.
DigiMilk will integrate data on feed intake and production in order to maximise both the production and quality of the milk produced, while also considering the end consumer, thus ensuring the welfare of the animals both individually and within the herd, monitored using the Well-being Diagnostic System (SDIB).
Contacts:
Contact person
Antonio Gallo
Email
antonio.gallo@unicatt.it
Tel
+39 0523 599433
Dairy cattle farming is facing the challenge of reducing environmental impact while ensuring animal welfare to maximise productive performance and improve the quality of animal-derived products for the end consumer. Modelling plays a key role in evaluating various parameters and achieving efficient and sustainable production performance. Increasing the monitoring of individual animals through the application of sensors, precision feeding tools, and animal welfare monitoring would allow for the integration of the existing animal welfare assessment system used at the European level (SDIB) with data regarding the actual nutrient intake and feeds present on each farm—data that, at present, is often replaced by estimates or qualitative assessments.
The innovative approach of DigiMilk will enable the development of new models and software applicable across various production contexts, enhancing both efficiency and quality. The data will also be linked to the nutritional quality of milk for consumers. DigiMilk's innovation aims to improve business efficiency both economically and technically, while also contributing to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas production and pollutant emissions. The intelligent and rational use of resources, including the use of by-products for livestock feeding or energy purposes, will maximise business profitability.
The use of sensors allows for the acquisition of large quantities of real-time data for both individual animals and the herd, measuring key characteristics for an effective approach to precision nutrition and animal welfare. Nutritional models can be implemented in new technologies, providing farmers with short-term decision support data and tools. The adoption of protocols for sampling and analysing all forages in use, even with tools like portable NIR devices connected to a rationing software that defines nutrient inputs, will enhance the sensitivity of the SDIB system for evaluating animal welfare. This will enable simultaneous assessment of animal welfare, ration quality, and the economic sustainability of rations and productions, with quicker estimations.