Precision farming for healthy soil
FarmBiz|February 2020
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is well underway and is characterised by the fading boundaries between the physical, digital and biological world. It is further characterised by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), genetic engineering and three-dimensional (3D) printers, among others. In our changing world new technologies are also being developed for the agricultural sector, which will enable this industry to improve production.
Dr WA Lombard
Precision farming for healthy soil

Are livestock farms geared?

Livestock farmers have not fallen behind, and precision farming is a reality on many livestock farms. The technology that is utilised incorporates, among other things, the collection of advanced information. It monitors the use of certain resources and controls certain production processes with precision. By using electronic data collection, processing and utilisation, precision farming offers producers the opportunity to improve animal productivity, reduce costs and promote animal welfare.

International studies illustrate the customised precision farming system developed for Australian beef cattle branches. The development of the system was based on the elements of the so-called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) method and can also be used for other livestock enterprises.

The principles on which this system is based include:

• Identifying those aspects that have an impact on productivity, profitability or sustainability. In this instance aspects are considered that may impede the branch’s sustainability if not applied correctly. The number of aspects involved must be manageable, as it needs to be applied consistently throughout. As an example, there are only 29 processes that are included in an entire beef cattle branch system and which are considered critical for maximising profit and sustainability.

• Identifying variables in each critical process to ensure that it is successfully completed.

• Predicting which corrective action will be cost effective if the information collected indicates that the branch is not functioning within specified parameters during a specific process. As the corrective steps that will apply when parameters are exceeded are specified in advance, the situation is less stressful for the branch manager.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من FarmBiz.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2020 من FarmBiz.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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