4D4F - Research Priority Report - 2017

H2020-ISIB-2015-1 / 696367 / 4D4F
Data Driven Dairy Decisions For Farmers
WP5 Community of Practice

Deliverable 5.2
First Annual Report for Researchers
Contractual Date of Delivery to the EC 28/02/2017

Actual Date of Delivery to the EC: 28/02/2017
Participants: EMU, VHL, EV ILVO, KUL, ZLTO, LZA, Paragon & IfA
Author(s): Joshua Onyango
Nature: Report
Document version: Final
Dissemination level
PU Public
Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission
PP
Services)
Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the
RE
Commission Services)
Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the
CO
Commission Services)
“This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 696367”
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Copyright © 2016 - 2019 – 4D4F Consortium, all rights reserved
H2020-ISIB-2015-1 / 696367 / 4D4F
DOCUMENT CHANGE RECORD

Version Date Notes / Change Author
V1.0 25/02/2017 First Draft Joshua Onyango
V1.1 28/02/2017 Final Joshua Onyango
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) can be defined as the management of livestock farming
by continuous automated real-time monitoring of the health and welfare of livestock and
the associated impact on the environment. The benefits associated with PLF are far-
reaching: improved animal welfare, improved profitability, improved product quality,
minimised adverse environmental impacts and reduced use of antibiotics through
preventive health measures. A survey was developed to investigate the use of sensor
technologies in relation to improved productivity and profitability on dairy farms, in
order to give some hints for further research priorities in the 4D4F research project for
funding organizations around Europe. The survey was sent to partners in different
occupations (farmers, veterinarians, farm advisors and researchers) across nine
countries in Europe . In total, there were 103 replies with the majority having come from
farmers. Overall, the majority identified the following areas of dairy farming productivity
to be core; lameness, udder health, metabolic diseases, nutrition and reproduction. On
experiences in the use of sensors, most respondents seem to have experience in more than
one sensor while pressure sensor were least common on farms and very few had
experience from this devices.
The study has highlighted the following areas as the top priority for research;
• Research on refining sensors which can provide rapid information on health issues,
reproduction, nutrition. Precisely on the following areas; lameness, mastitis, and
metabolic diseases. In particular, the sensors ought to have better algorithms for
health. More research in the area of integration of information was stressed by
researchers.
• Further research on wide spectrum sensors i.e. those which can capture multiple
dairy cow health issues.
• Simplifying the data so that it would be easy to understand in order to enable prompt
action with regards to areas of dairy farm productivity.
In conclusion, the survey has highlighted several areas where research on sensor
technologies should focus on in order to improve productivity and sustainability on
dairy farms.
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Report on research priorities on the use of sensor

technologies to improve productivity and sustainability on
dairy farms
Written by Joshua Onyango
Innovation for Agriculture

Arthur Rank Centre| Stoneleigh Park |Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LZ
United Kingdom
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 8
2. DAIRY FARMING AND THE USE OF SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES ....................... 9
2.1 Areas of dairy farming productivity...............................................................................................................9
2.2 Types of sensor technologies used in dairy farming ............................................................................ 10
3. SURVEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................................... 12
4. MATERIALS AND METHODS .............................................................................. 12
5. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 13
5.1 Farmers ................................................................................................................................................................... 14
5.1.1 Areas of profitability in dairy farming ............................................................................................... 14
5.1.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies in dairy farming ................................... 15
5.1.3 Farm problems which require a solution ......................................................................................... 16
5.1.4 Experience with sensor technologies ................................................................................................ 17
5.1.5 Suggested areas for improvement/adoption.................................................................................. 17
5.1.6 Top research priorities ............................................................................................................................ 18
5.2. Veterinarians ....................................................................................................................................................... 19
5.2.1 Areas for profitability in dairy farming ............................................................................................. 19
5.2.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies ..................................................................... 19
5.2.3 Problems identified on farms ................................................................................................................ 20
5.2.4 Experience on sensor technologies..................................................................................................... 21
5.2.5 Areas for improvement on sensors..................................................................................................... 22
5.2.6 Top research priority areas ................................................................................................................... 22
5.3 Researchers ........................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.3.1 Response on areas for profitability in dairy farming .................................................................. 23
5.3.2 Availability of information on the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming .............. 23
5.3.4 Experience with sensor technologies ................................................................................................ 25
5.3.5 Areas for improvement/adoption ....................................................................................................... 26
5.4 Advisors .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
5.4.1 Areas of farm profitability ...................................................................................................................... 27
5.4.2 Availability of information on the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming .............. 28
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5.4.4 Experience on sensor technologies..................................................................................................... 29
5.4.5 Areas for improvement/adoption ....................................................................................................... 30
6. DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 30
7. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 32
8. RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................ 33
9. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 33
10. APPENDICES .................................................................................................... 34
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Figure 1: Farmers’ responses on areas of profitability in dairy farming (1 = the area has little
importance in the dairy farming industry, 5 = the area is of great importance in the dairy farming
industry). ............................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Figure 2: Farmers’ responses on availability of information in relation to sensor technologies in
areas of dairy farming (1 = there is currently a large amount of information available on the topic
and no research is needed, 5 = there is currently very limited information available on this topic
and a lot of research is needed). ............................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 3: Veterinarians’ responses in relation to profitability in dairy farming (1 = the area has
little importance, 5 = the area is of great importance). ................................................................................... 19
Figure 4: Veterinarians’ responses on the availability of information on areas of dairy farming and
the use of sensor technologies (1 = there is currently a large amount of information available on
the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there is currently very limited information available on
this topic and a lot of research is needed). ........................................................................................................... 20
Figure 5: Researchers’ responses in relation to areas of profitability in dairy farming (1 = the area
has little importance, 5 = the area is of great importance)............................................................................ 23
Figure 6: researchers’ responses on availability of information on the application of sensor
technologies in different areas of dairy farming. (1 = there is currently a large amount of
information available on the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there is currently very limited
information available on this topic and a lot of research is needed)......................................................... 24
Figure 7:Response from advisors on areas of dairy farming profitability (1 = the area has little
importance, 5 = the area is of great importance). ............................................................................................. 27
Figure 8: Advisors’ responses in relation to availability of information on areas of dairy farming
and use of sensor technologies. (1 = there is currently a large amount of information available on
the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there is currently very limited information available on
this topic and a lot of research is needed). ........................................................................................................... 28
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Table 1: Examples of sensor technologies used in dairy farming ............................................................... 11

Table 2: Number of responses from the survey based on different occupations ................................. 13
Table 3 : Number of response from partner countries.................................................................................... 14
Table 4: Problems in farms which require a solution ...................................................................................... 16
Table 5: Farmers experience with sensor technologies ................................................................................. 17
Table 6: Areas of sensor technology which require improvement ............................................................ 18
Table 7: Research priorities areas identified by farmers ............................................................................... 18
Table 8: Problems identified on farms ................................................................................................................... 21
Table 9: Veterinarians experience on sensor technologies ........................................................................... 21
Table 10: Areas for improvement on sensor technologies ............................................................................ 22
Table 11: Top research priorities ............................................................................................................................. 22
Table 12: Farm problems identified by researchers ........................................................................................ 25
Table 13: Researchers experience with sensor technologies ....................................................................... 25
Table 14: Areas for improvement ............................................................................................................................ 26
Table 15: Top research priorities ............................................................................................................................. 26
Table 16: Problems identified on farms by advisors........................................................................................ 29
Table 17: Advisors experience on sensor technologies .................................................................................. 29
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1. INTRODUCTION
This report is part of the Horizon 2020 EU Data Driven Dairy Decision For Farmers (4D4F)
project looking into the use of sensors in dairy farming. It highlights areas for future
research on the use of sensor technologies to improve productivity and sustainability on
dairy farms. The report, in particular, discusses the top future research priorities
identified by farmers, veterinarians, advisors and researchers in project partner
countries.
The dairy farming sector is facing substantial challenges, including reduced profit
margins, food safety, welfare and pressure from both government and non-governmental
organizations to minimise on farming activities which degrade the environment. There is
urgent need for precision approach to tackle some of these challenges. The dairy farming
sector requires smart approaches which aim to increase efficiency while reducing the cost
of production, improving general animal welfare and minimising on the environmental
impact.
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) which can be defined as the management of livestock
farming by continuous automated real-time monitoring of the health and welfare and the
associated impact on the environment might be the immediate thought for farmers in
addressing some of the issues associated with dairy production in the EU and across the
world. This development is currently changing the shape of dairy farming across the
globe, with the majority becoming more common in the developed countries. The benefits
associated with PLF are far-reaching: improved animal welfare, improved profitability,
improved product quality, minimised adverse environmental impacts and reduced use of
antibiotics through preventive health measures (Norton and Berckmans, 2017).
PLF is proving to be the next important technological breakthrough for the 21st century
dairy industry where it can provide the farmer with real time information about the
animal, to support speedy decision-making in the busy farming environment. This report
therefore aims to identify areas for future research priorities on the use of sensor
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technologies to improve productivity and sustainability in dairy farms. It is hoped that the
findings will provide some guidance to project funders in allocating future research funds.
Additionally, it may also act to inform researchers working on sensor technologies, dairy
cattle health, reproduction, nutrition, housing and other relevant areas that contribute to
sustainable dairy production.
2. DAIRY FARMING AND THE USE OF SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES
2.1 Areas of dairy farming productivity
There are a number of key areas that determine productivity in dairy farming. These
include udder health, lameness, nutrition, data management, milking data, dairy cow
activity and behaviour, metabolic diseases, calves and young stock, grassland
management, and housing. Improved udder health has been associated with reduced
usage of antibiotics, better animal welfare, improved production efficiency (Barberg et al.,
2007; Hogeveen and Lam, 2012). With increasing focus on milk quality and demand for
lower somatic cell counts, it is important that dairy producers have tools with high
precision in detecting early signs of disease which will help to take quick action which
ultimately leads to reducing mastitis incidence and effectively managing any clinical
cases.
Lameness is one of the most common dairy cattle issues which impacts on performance,
profitability and general health and welfare. The disease has been shown to hinder the
animal to express normal behaviour; less interaction with the rest of the animals in the
herd thus reduced activities such as oestrus behaviour ( Green et al., 2002; Juarez et al.,
2003; Huxley, 2013). Undeniably, the problem justifies a cognisant effort on the part of
every dairy to invest in whatever technology is needed to optimise foot health which is
among the key areas for improved productivity. Metabolic diseases such as subclinical
ruminal acidosis have also been associated with reduced productivity in dairy farming,
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and any management system identifying early warning signs for such diseases would be
ideal for the dairy farming business.
Dairy cow nutrition remains a fundamental pillar in farm business and measurements to
improve the daily performance of the dairy enterprise are frequently followed by
disappointing results. This is because the majority of systems lack the latest tools to
monitor aspects such as daily intake. PLF technologies seem to be among the immediate
tools which may help tackle both areas of feeding and nutrition in modern dairy farms. A
number of these tools allow for measurements of parameters such as cow feeding
behaviour and intake, rumen Ph, rumination, rumen temperature and ß-Hydroxy Butyric
Acid levels which is a series of metabolic tests used in monitoring the transition dairy cow
for energy balance and general health. Dairy cow activities, specifically, rumination often
predicts cows at risk of metabolic disorders such as sub-clinical acidosis among
others (Norton and Berckmans, 2017).
2.2 Types of sensor technologies used in dairy farming
Sensor technologies are used in dairy farming to electronically monitor livestock, their
environment, and to collect real-time data to make more informed decisions. Currently
there are several sensors which are being used in a number of dairy farms across Europe and
other countries. Specifically, these sensors are being employed on farms to monitor areas such
as; reproduction activities, herd and individual animal health status, feeding and nutrition,
milking data, and housing among others. Research on specific health parameter measurement
in dairy cows have been documented. For example, Poikalainen and others demonstrated that
infrared temperature patterns of cow’s body can be an indicator for hoof and udder health,
where increased temperature readings were associated with early signs of lameness and mastitis
(Poikalainen et al., 2012). The findings demonstrate the use of precision technologies in
detecting early signs of disease ultimately resulting to quick action for better animal welfare
and general productivity. Table 1 shows the examples of different types of sensors, what they
measure and the various alerts.
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Table 1: Examples of sensor technologies used in dairy farming
Type of Sensor Measuring Alerts

Movement • • Activity • Heat
Sensors • Rumination • Health
• Eating time • Calving
• Resting time
• Lying time
• Walking time
Milk Analysis • • Progesterone • Heat
• Ketones • Ketosis
• Lactate • Mastitis
Dehydrogenase
• Fat and Protein
• Colour
• Somatic cell count
• Conductivity
pH • • Rumen pH • Rumen health
• Acidosis
Positioning • • Cow behaviour • Heat
• Location
• Health
Cameras • • Heat • Mastitis
• Body form • Lameness
• Movement • Body condition
Thermometer • • Temperature • Health

• Calving
Pressure • • Locomotion • Lameness
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3. SURVEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The project aimed to identify research priorities for the Data Driven Dairy Decision for
Farmers (4D4F) project on the use of dairy sensors to improve productivity and
sustainability on dairy farms across the European partner countries. It was based on the
questionnaire which was distributed among the participating farmers, farm advisors,
researchers and veterinarians in project partner countries.
The objectives of the questionnaire survey were:
• to gain information on areas which participants would regard as key in dairy

farming profitability and the need for further research
• to identify problems on the farm which would require a solution
• to identify participants’ experience on sensor technologies and suggestions for
improvement or how best these could be adopted to improve dairy farming
• to identify top research priorities in relation to use of sensors in the dairy
farming industry.
4. MATERIALS AND METHODS
A word and web version (www.surveymonkey.com) based questionnaire was designed

with the main source of data provided by farmers, veterinarians, researchers and farm
advisors from the 4D4F partner countries. The questionnaire had 6 sections which were;
to identify the importance with regard to profitability of the different areas of dairy
farming, identify the need for further research on sensor technology in the different areas
of dairy farming, identify any farm problems that require a solution, identify whether
participants had any experience on the use of different types of sensor technologies and
to suggest any improvement/adoption on sensor technologies which might be applied to
address other management areas, and to identify their top three research priorities in
relation to use of sensor technologies to improve productivity and sustainability in dairy
farms.
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Data was cleaned in Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp) and exported to R (R, 2016) for
general analysis in order to be able to understand the trends for the variables in question.
The questionnaire can be found in Appendix 1.
5. RESULTS
A total 103 completed surveys were received and deemed to be a fair sample size. The
highest response came from farmers while lowest responses were from veterinarians and
farm advisors. The breakdown on the number of responses by occupation can be found in
table 2. Comparing response by partner countries Netherlands reported the highest while
the rest of the other countries were also fairly represented (table 3).
Table 2: Number of responses from the survey based on different

occupations
Occupation Number of responses

Farmer 46
Vet 14
Researcher 28
Farm Advisor 14
Total 103
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Table 3 : Number of response from partner countries
Country Number of response
United Kingdom 8
Sweden 9
Romania 12
Spain 13
Belgium 9
Latvia 8
Malta 4
Netherlands 40
Total 103
5.1 Farmers
5.1.1 Areas of profitability in dairy farming
Farmers identified top 6 research areas as the most important with regards to
profitability in dairy farming (figure 1). These were nutrition, calves and young stock,
udder health, lameness, reproduction and grassland management.
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35
Number of response
30 1 2 3 4 5
25
20
15
10
Areas of dairy farming productivity
Figure 1: Farmers’ responses on areas of profitability in dairy farming (1 = the

area has little importance in the dairy farming industry, 5 = the area is of great
importance in the dairy farming industry).
5.1.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies in dairy farming
Farmers identified the following areas to have very scarce information with regards to
use of sensor technologies in dairy farming; calves and young stock, data management,
nutrition, udder health, metabolic diseases and grassland management (figure 2).
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25
1 2 3 4 5
Number of response
20
15
10
Need for further research on use of sensor technologies in areas of

dairy farming
Figure 2: Farmers’ responses on availability of information in relation to sensor

technologies in areas of dairy farming (1 = there is currently a large amount of
information available on the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there is currently
very limited information available on this topic and a lot of research is needed).
5.1.3 Farm problems which require a solution
The majority of farmers identified problems that sensors were complex making it difficult
to read out data to convert the same into a usable advice. They also felt that sensors were
not user friendly while the minority thought they were too expensive.
Table 4: Problems in farms which require a solution
Problem Number of response

Complex sensors/not user friendly 38
High Cost 3
No answer/response 5
Total 46
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Metabolic problems (e.g. rumen acidosis), lameness, oestrus detection, mastitis and
housing were identified as some of the key areas which will benefit from more input on
sensor technologies.
5.1.4 Experience with sensor technologies
The majority of farmers have experience on movement and milk analysis sensors, while
fewer had experience on the use of cameras. Seven farmers indicated they did not have
any experience with any of the sensor technologies (table 5).
Table 5: Farmers experience with sensor technologies
Type of sensor Number of respondents

Movement Sensors 22
Milk Analysis 17
pH 2
Positioning 6
Cameras 4
Thermometer 8
Pressure 5
No experience 7
5.1.5 Suggested areas for improvement/adoption
Table 6 summarises farmer’s response in relation to areas of sensor technology which

require improvement. The majority (18 out of 35) suggested that it would be beneficial to
have sensors which capture early warning signs across a number of dairy productivity
parameters such as lameness, oestrus detection, udder health among others. Only 5 out
of 35 farmers find sensors to be too costly.
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Table 6: Areas of sensor technology which require improvement
Area for improvement Number of response

Cost 5
Training 3
Multiple use 18
User friendly 6
Accuracy 3
No reply 11
Total 46
5.1.6 Top research priorities
The majority of farmers (21 out of 43) indicated that several areas of dairy herd health as
the most significant. The common health issues reported were udder health, lameness,
metabolic diseases. They also pointed out that reproduction (heat detection) and
nutrition as other areas which call for further research, and in particular, technologies
which might help with accurate early warning signs would be much more beneficial. The
full response can be found in table 7.
Table 7: Research priorities areas identified by farmers
Research Priorities Number of respondents

Herd health 21
Reproduction 7
Nutrition 9
Better ways of making data simple 4
Housing 2
No response 3
Total 46
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5.2. Veterinarians
5.2.1 Areas for profitability in dairy farming
Veterinarians identified 6 areas of major importance with regards to profitability in dairy

farming; reproduction, nutrition, udder health, lameness, calves and young stock, and
metabolic diseases (figure 3).
12
1 2 3 4 5
10
Number of response
Areas of profitability in dairy farming
Figure 3: Veterinarians’ responses in relation to profitability in dairy farming (1

= the area has little importance, 5 = the area is of great importance).
5.2.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies
Figure 4 shows veterinarians response on the availability of information on sensor technologies

in relation to areas of dairy farming. They identified the following areas to have very scarce
information with regards to use of sensor technologies in dairy farming; data management,
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milking data, grassland management, nutrition, metabolic diseases, activity and

behaviour.
8
7 1 2 3 4 5
6
Number of response
5
4
3
2
1
0
Need for further research on the use of sensor technologies in dairy

farming
Figure 4: Veterinarians’ responses on the availability of information on areas of

dairy farming and the use of sensor technologies (1 = there is currently a large
amount of information available on the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there
is currently very limited information available on this topic and a lot of research
is needed).
5.2.3 Problems identified on farms
Table 8 shows some of the problems identified by veterinarians on farms. The majority (6
out of 14) reported herd health issues such as udder health, lameness, and rumen acidosis.
Areas of reproduction which included heat detection were also reported.
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Table 8: Problems identified on farms
Problems at the farm Number of response

Reading & interpreting data 3
Herd health issues 6
Housing 2
No issues reported 3
Total 14
5.2.4 Experience on sensor technologies
Table 9 show veterinarians experience on use the use of different sensor technologies.
The majority of veterinarians are experienced in the use of movement sensors while none
had any experience with pressure sensors.
Table 9: Veterinarians experience on sensor technologies
Type of sensor Number of respondents

Movement Sensors 9
Milk Analysis 5
pH 3
Positioning 1
Cameras 2
Thermometer 5
Pressure 0
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5.2.5 Areas for improvement on sensors
Table 10 show areas for sensor improvement as suggested by veterinarians where 50%
reporting did not suggest any improvement while a few suggested the need for more
training and having user friendly sensors.
Table 10: Areas for improvement on sensor technologies
Areas for improvement Number of respondents

Cost 1
Training & user friendly 4
Wide spectrum 2
No response 7
Total 14
5.2.6 Top research priority areas
Table 11 summarise the research priorities suggested by veterinarians with the majority
pointing out on the need to have sensors which target to issue early warning signs on
many areas of dairy cow health. These areas were lameness, udder health and metabolic
diseases.
Table 11: Top research priorities
Research priorities Number of respondents

Herd health 12
Reproduction 1
Nutrition 1
Total 14
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5.3 Researchers
5.3.1 Response on areas for profitability in dairy farming
Figure 5 shows researchers’ responses with regards to areas for profitability in dairy
farming. They identified 6 areas as the most important with regards to profitability in
dairy farming. These were udder health, nutrition, reproduction, lameness, metabolic
diseases and calves and young stock.
20
1 2 3 4 5
18
16
14
12
Number of response
10
8
6
4
2
0
Areas of profitability in dairy farming
Figure 5: Researchers’ responses in relation to areas of profitability in dairy

farming (1 = the area has little importance, 5 = the area is of great importance).
5.3.2 Availability of information on the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming
Figure 6 shows several areas for profitability in dairy farming by researchers. Areas identified
to have scarce information with regards to use of sensor technologies in dairy farming were; data
management, calves and young stock, metabolic diseases, udder health, lameness and nutrition.
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16
1 2 3 4 5
14
Number of response
12
10
Need for research on the application of sensor technologies in dairy

farming
Figure 6: researchers’ responses on availability of information on the application

of sensor technologies in different areas of dairy farming. (1 = there is currently a
large amount of information available on the topic and no research is needed, 5 =
there is currently very limited information available on this topic and a lot of
research is needed).
11 out of 28 researchers identified health issues which included udder health and
lameness. Areas of nutrition and reproduction were also raised. Equally, 11 researchers
identified low specificity and sensitivity and lack of integration between sensor systems
to be a common problem on farms. 6 researchers suggested that data should be integrated
for better support (table 12).
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Table 12: Farm problems identified by researchers
Areas identified Number of respondents

Health issues 11
Sensor specificity 11
Integrate data for better support 6
No reply 1
Total 29
5.3.4 Experience with sensor technologies
The majority of researchers were experienced in more than one sensor technology, in
particular, movement sensors followed by milk analysis while 3 had no experience with
any of the sensor technologies (table 13).
Table 13: Researchers experience with sensor technologies
Type of sensor Researchers with experience

Movement sensor 18
Milk analysis 14
pH 3
Positioning 4
Cameras 3
Thermometer 5
Pressure 0
No experience 3
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5.3.5 Areas for improvement/adoption
Six out of sixteen researchers felt that sensors should be adopted for multiple use and be
made user friendly. Thirteen researchers did not respond to this question (table 14).
Table 14: Areas for improvement
Area for improvement Number of respondents

Cost 1
Training and advise 3
Adopt sensors for multiple use 6
User friendly 6
No response 13
Total 29
Researchers indicated health and integration of information as the two main areas to be
given priority for future research. Looking at health, in particular, udder health, lameness,
including related areas such as nutrition (measuring individual feed intake and
digestibility), and reproduction (heat detection) were pointed out to be key for future
research (table 15).
Table 15: Top research priorities
Area for research Number of respondents

Wide spec sensors 8
Integrating information 10
Health 11
Total 29
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5.4 Advisors
5.4.1 Areas of farm profitability
Advisors identified the following areas to be the important with regards to profitability in
dairy farming. These were nutrition, udder health, metabolic diseases, reproduction,
lameness, data management and calves and young stock (figure 7).
14
1 2 3 4 5
12
Number of response
10
Areas of dairy farming profitability
Figure 7:Response from advisors on areas of dairy farming profitability (1 = the

area has little importance, 5 = the area is of great importance).
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5.4.2 Availability of information on the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming
Advisors identified the following areas to have very scarce information with regards to
the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming; milking data, metabolic diseases,
nutrition, reproduction, data management, calves and young stock, udder health,
lameness and housing.
7
1 2 3 4 5
6
Number of response
Need for research on the use of sensor technologies in dairy farming
Figure 8: Advisors’ responses in relation to availability of information on areas of

dairy farming and use of sensor technologies. (1 = there is currently a large amount
of information available on the topic and no research is needed, 5 = there is
currently very limited information available on this topic and a lot of research is
needed).
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Like the rest of the respondents, advisors identified low specificity, sensitivity and
integration of sensors to help in decision making with regards to health (lameness in
particular) and other associated issues; feeding, nutrition and lack of measurement for
grassland management as a problem. Additionally, they pointed out a need for more
sensors for early warning signs and individual cow monitoring across many areas of dairy
farming (table 16).
Table 16: Problems identified on farms by advisors
Areas for solution Number of respondents

Nutrition 3
Sensor precision/early warning 3
Health issues 5
System integration 3
Total 14
5.4.4 Experience on sensor technologies
The majority of advisors have experience on movement sensors and those that are used
for milk analysis. Similarly to the veterinarians, none was experienced on pressure
sensors (table 17).
Table 17: Advisors experience on sensor technologies
Type of sensor Number of advisors with experience

Movement sensors 6
Milk Analysis 6
pH 1
Positioning 2
Cameras 1
Thermometer 0
Pressure 0
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5.4.5 Areas for improvement/adoption
Only 4 advisors replied to this question where they identified the need for training
workers on the use of sensors and simplifying sensors to make them more attractive to
farmers/users. Additionally, they suggested sensors could be improved with making sure
they have improved links/connections.
In agreement with the other groups, advisors felt that there is need for more research on
animal health areas, especially, lameness and udder health. Areas of reproduction,
specifically heat detection and the need for sensors measuring dry matter intake and the
like so increasing their ability to make real time decisions were additional areas pointed
out by the advisors.
6. DISCUSSION
This study has focused on use of sensor technologies to improve profitability and
sustainability on dairy farms within 8 project partner countries with a view to identifying
top future research priorities. The discussion summarises these findings.
It was clear from the outset that feedback provided by participants identified common
areas which were of importance in dairy farming. There was also a dearth of information
concerning research on sensor technologies on most important areas of dairy farming.
The key areas identified by the respondents from various occupations were; lameness,
udder health, metabolic diseases, nutrition, reproduction and calves and young stock. The
feeling that some of the sensor technologies are non-user friendly, have low battery life
and more complex, especially when it comes to reading the data to convert this to a
possible solution have also been expressed. It is therefore of great importance to promote
further research in these areas, not only to simplify and make the sensors to be more user
friendly, but also to come up with sensors which are less costly with long term use in the
dairy farm environment.
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It is interesting to note that there was agreement between all groups on the most
significant areas of dairy farm productivity. Furthermore, farmers pointed out grassland
as another area of significance importance, opposite to all other categories, while
veterinarians and farm advisors felt that areas of metabolic disease and data management
were also important and had very limited information.
On the area of experience with sensor technologies, the majority of occupations were
experienced in the use of different types of sensors, in particular, movement and milk
analysis sensors. Interestingly, only farmers had experience on the use of pressure
techniques. These findings highlight the need for training on the use of sensor
technologies. From the response, it is evident that there is need to formulate a set of step-
by-step instructions to help those involved in the dairy farming industry in one way or the
other carry out routine operations using sensors with a more simpler action protocol. This
will help increase efficiency, quality and uniformity, while reducing some of the failures
associated with the lack of standard operation procedures.
The respondents in the various occupations surveyed cited herd health as one of the top
research priority. In particular, lameness, rumen acidosis and udder health were thought
to be important areas of dairy farming business. Research on sensors with specific action
alerts to help address issues on cow foot health would be important in order to obtain a
sustainable production, both from an animal welfare and an economical aspect. Hoof
problems are possible to prevent by early detection of affected animals where sensors
would play an important part in the busy farming environment. Research on sensor
technologies in early warning signs of hoof problems is therefore beneficial animal
welfare. Likewise, udder health has been linked to milk yield and milk quality, in
particular poor udder health can have a negative effect not only on the overall farm
business profitability, but also general cow health and welfare. The findings suggest a
more robust research on more sensor technologies with early warning signs, better
algorithms for health and other system monitoring for individual animals which will
address these important areas of dairy farming productivity and sustainability.
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On the area of reproduction, the respondents felt that further research is needed to have
sensors which will help with timing of insemination for improved conception and
increased productivity. Automatic oestrus detection and proper timing of artificial
insemination will results in efficient and profitable and reproductive performance of a
dairy herd. More so, the precision approach will minimise on the use of hormones thus
improved product quality among others. It is worthwhile to note that the majority of the
respondents were also in agreement that sensor research should include those that
integrate data from different sensors, improvements on accuracy and developments of
other types of sensors to support management.
7. CONCLUSION
In summary, respondents felt that use of sensor technologies offers a number of benefits
which may help in the improvement of animal health and welfare and ultimately
increased farm business profitability. The problems of limited research on the various
areas of dairy farming health issues, training, and developing and refining sensors which
not only can have wide spectrum but also a much more finer precision still remains a big
obstacle if farmers are to invest further on precision livestock technologies. It is therefore
of great importance that research be implemented in the different areas identified in this
report to ensure that we have the appropriate sensor technologies available for the dairy
farming sector for it to be sustainable and even continue in the future generations.
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8. RECOMMENDATIONS
This study has identified a number of areas in which further research is required in the
use of sensor technologies in dairy farming. The top recommendations for further
research are listed below:
• Research on refining sensors which can provide rapid information on health issues,
reproduction, nutrition. Precisely on the following areas; lameness, mastitis, and
metabolic diseases. In particular, the sensors ought to have better algorithms for
health. More research in the area of integration of information was stressed by
researchers.
• Further research on wide spectrum sensors i.e. those which can capture multiple
dairy cow health issues.
• Simplifying the data so that it would be easy to understand in order to enable prompt
action with regards to areas of dairy farm productivity.
9. REFERENCES
Barberg, A., Endres, M., Salfer, J. and Reneau, J. (2007). Performance and Welfare of Dairy
Cows in an Alternative Housing System in Minnesota. Journal of Dairy Science 90(3) 1575-
1583.
Green, L., Hedges, V., Schukken, Y., Blowey, R. and Packington, A. (2002). The Impact of
Clinical Lameness on the Milk Yield of Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science 85(9) 2250-
2256.
Hogeveen, H. and Lam, T. (2012). Udder Health and Communication. 1st Ed. Wageningen:
Wageningen Academic Publishers.
Huxley, J. (2013). Impact of lameness and claw lesions in cows on health and production.
Livestock Science 156(1-3) 64-70.
Juarez, S., Robinson, P., DePeters, E. and Price, E. (2003). Impact of lameness on behaviour
and productivity of lactating Holstein cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 83(1) 1-14.
Norton, T. and Berckmans, D. (2017). Developing precision livestock farming tools for
precision dairy farming. Animal Frontiers 7(1) 18.
R Core Team (2016). A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation
for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.
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10. APPENDICES
This is a questionnaire into the use of sensor technologies to improve productivity

and sustainability on dairy farms.
Your answers will be used by the 4D4F project on dairy sensors to produce a report
prioritising areas for further research.
Name:
Email address:
Occupation?
Farmer
Vet
Researcher
Farm advisor
Other (please specify)
1. On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the importance of the following areas of dairy farming:
1 = This area has little importance in the dairy farming industry

5 = This area is of great importance in the dairy farming industry
Place a mark in the appropriate box;
1 2 3 4 5
Udder Health
Lameness
Nutrition
Reproduction
Data Management
Milking Data
Activity and Behaviour
Metabolic Diseases
Calves and Young Stock
Grassland Management
Housing
Goats
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H2020-ISIB-2015-1 / 696367 / 4D4F
2. On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the need for further research into the following areas of dairy
farming:
1 = There is currently a large amount of information available on the topic and no research is
needed.
5 = There is currently very limited information available on this topic and a lot of research is
needed.
Place a mark in the appropriate box;

1 2 3 4 5
Udder Health
Lameness
Nutrition
Reproduction
Data Management
Milking Data
Activity and Behaviour
Metabolic Diseases
Calves and Young Stock
Grassland Management
Housing
Goats
Sensor technologies are used in dairy farming to electronically monitor livestock, their
environment, and to collect real-time data to make more informed decisions.
Examples of sensor technologies include:
Type of Sensor Measuring Alerts

Movement Sensors • Activity • Heat
• Rumination • Health
• Eating time • Calving
• Resting time
• Lying time
• Walking time
Milk Analysis • Progesterone • Heat
• Ketones • Ketosis
• Lactate Dehydrogenase • Mastitis
• Fat and Protein
• Colour
• Somatic cell count
• Conductivity
pH • Rumen pH • Rumen health
• Acidosis
Positioning • Cow behaviour • Heat
• Location
• Health
Cameras • Heat • Mastitis
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• Body form • Lameness

• Movement • Body condition
Thermometer • Temperature • Health

• Calving
Pressure • Locomotion • Lameness
3. What problems have you identified on farm that require a solution?
4. Which sensor technologies do you have experience of?
5. In which ways can current sensor technologies be improved or adapted to address other
management areas?
In relation to this subject, what would you consider your top 3 research prioritises and why
Priority 1:
Why:
Priority 2:
Why:
Priority 3:
Why:
Page 36 of 36

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H2020-ISIB-2015-1 / 696367 / 4D4F

Data Driven Dairy Decisions For Farmers

WP5 Community of Practice

Contractual Date of Delivery to the EC 28/02/2017

DOCUMENT CHANGE RECORD

Report on research priorities on the use of sensor

Written by Joshua Onyango

Innovation for Agriculture

5.4.3 Problems identified on farms ................................................................................................................ 29

Table 1: Examples of sensor technologies used in dairy farming ............................................................... 11

2. DAIRY FARMING AND THE USE OF SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES

2.1 Areas of dairy farming productivity

2.2 Types of sensor technologies used in dairy farming

Table 1: Examples of sensor technologies used in dairy farming

Type of Sensor Measuring Alerts

Thermometer • • Temperature • Health

3. SURVEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the questionnaire survey were:

• to gain information on areas which participants would regard as key in dairy

4. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A word and web version (www.surveymonkey.com) based questionnaire was designed

Table 2: Number of responses from the survey based on different

Occupation Number of responses

Table 3 : Number of response from partner countries

Country Number of response

5.1.1 Areas of profitability in dairy farming

Areas of dairy farming productivity

Figure 1: Farmers’ responses on areas of profitability in dairy farming (1 = the

5.1.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies in dairy farming

Need for further research on use of sensor technologies in areas of

Figure 2: Farmers’ responses on availability of information in relation to sensor

5.1.3 Farm problems which require a solution

Table 4: Problems in farms which require a solution

Problem Number of response

5.1.4 Experience with sensor technologies

Table 5: Farmers experience with sensor technologies

Type of sensor Number of respondents

5.1.5 Suggested areas for improvement/adoption

Table 6 summarises farmer’s response in relation to areas of sensor technology which

Table 6: Areas of sensor technology which require improvement

Area for improvement Number of response

5.1.6 Top research priorities

Table 7: Research priorities areas identified by farmers

Research Priorities Number of respondents

5.2.1 Areas for profitability in dairy farming

Veterinarians identified 6 areas of major importance with regards to profitability in dairy

Areas of profitability in dairy farming

Figure 3: Veterinarians’ responses in relation to profitability in dairy farming (1

5.2.2 Availability of information on sensor technologies

Figure 4 shows veterinarians response on the availability of information on sensor technologies

milking data, grassland management, nutrition, metabolic diseases, activity and

Need for further research on the use of sensor technologies in dairy

Figure 4: Veterinarians’ responses on the availability of information on areas of

5.2.3 Problems identified on farms

Table 8: Problems identified on farms

Problems at the farm Number of response

5.2.4 Experience on sensor technologies

Table 9: Veterinarians experience on sensor technologies

Type of sensor Number of respondents