Although loadshedding and significant power outages have not been a feature of South African life for a while, rapidly increasing electricity tariffs that far outstrip inflation and worries about future energy security are still causing sleepless nights for farmers.
However, for a family-owned farm, about three kilometres from Malelane, the future is clearer, thanks to their decision to keep production on track and reduce escalating energy costs, a move that has resulted in a sizable solar-powered solution.
What makes the solar plant at Radley Landgoed unique is that 80% of the solar panels – a massive 3 350 square metres – are located on the surface of one of the estate’s largest irrigation dams.
This makes the project Mpumalanga province’s most significant agricultural power project and the only ‘water-borne’ plant in the region and possibly in South Africa.
Recently switched on, power reaches vital parts of the farming operation through a seven-kilometre network of custom-built pylons.
“The project, financed in partnership with Standard Bank’s Business and Commercial Banking (BCB) division, which was completed in a year, can produce up to 1.8GWh of power and can take the estate, including the farm homesteads, support buildings and staff quarters, entirely off-grid when necessary,” says Yaseen Guman, Standard Bank’s Head of Business Banking Client Coverage, Mpumalanga.
“Conservative estimates show that the project costs will be amortised in about 10 years, and the installation will have a lifespan of about 30 years. Savings began accruing the day the plant went operational, and will increase over time as energy costs increase annually.
Perhaps more important to our clients is the fact that production losses and the costs of fuelling generators, which increased operating costs by a substantial amount each year, are now a thing of the past.”
Mr Renald Radley, who, with his brothers Wilscott and Henno, is managing the farm, which has been in the family for about 80 years, says that loadshedding was the primary reason they decided to go solar with the estate’s 1 900 hectares of land.
Farming operations, including 157 hectares of citrus orchards, 536 hectares of high sucrose-producing sugar cane, 34 hectares of mango orchards, and a Nguni cattle stud of 105 breeding cows, have been secured.
“Loadshedding was a significant obstacle that created uncertainty and disrupted our daily farming activities. Traditional power sources and outages impacted our ability to irrigate crops, power essential equipment and maintain productivity.”
“Going solar with the support of Standard Bank has meant that this uncertainty and the losses that occurred when infrastructure had to be repaired and power was lost for days at a time and resetting, and potential damage to automated systems have also faded into the background.”
The location of solar panels on the irrigation dam offers several advantages – no potentially productive land has had to be set aside for the solar array, and clean energy is generated while irrigation capacity is maintained at optimum levels.
Other benefits include easy maintenance and the fact that the dam water provides cooling for the panels, and that workers conducting panel cleaning and repair operations have easy access through a series of walkways between rows of panels.
“Arranging the finance for a ‘water-borne’ solar plant was a first for Standard Bank’s BCB division and reflected our commitment to providing finance for sustainable solutions that encourage the acquisition of renewable-energy projects.
The Radley Landgoed project joined our recent involvement in a farm-based private hydro-electric plant in the Eastern Cape in the ‘firsts’ column of BCB’s growing book on the development of renewable-energy projects,” says Guman.
Besides the direct advantages that the solar power installation brings to the farm, additional marketing benefits can accrue. Much of the produce grown on the farm is packed at the nearby Malelane Citrus Cooperative, where it is packed for export.
“Because much of Radley Landgoed’s output could benefit from the carbon credits offered by the EU for produce grown with green energy, better prices and increased sales volumes could be achieved. This is good news for a community that relies on agriculture for much of its income and employment,” says Guman.
In conclusion he says, “The Radley Landgoed project, like many others undertaken in the agricultural sector, reflects our approach of investing in partnerships that are key to growth, are financially inclusive, support supply chain efficiency and minimise food wastage by addressing deficiencies in the energy grid.”
Forage harvesting is one of the most labour-intensive phases on many farms, especially the high-yielding early cuts.
Before and during mowing, fields must be searched or scanned for wildlife – with operations such as mowing, tedding, swathing and clearance often going on at the same time. In future, autonomous tractors or AgBots will be able to lighten the workload for many farmers and contractors.
Tall-growing crops present a particular challenge, as does the continuous monitoring and assessment of work quality. Together with partners such as AgXeed and thermal DRONES, CLAAS is researching and testing different areas of application as the basis for further progress in development and standardisation.
A question of interface: highly automated and autonomous mowing with wildlife rescue by drone
Drones with thermal-imaging cameras are now a widespread, safe and effective means of detecting breeding nests and wildlife, especially roe deer fawns, just before mowing grassland or whole-crop silage.
The search is generally conducted using a live image and paused when a heat source is picked up to enable helpers to remove the animal to a safe place or mark its location or that of a nest.
CLAAS, thermal DRONES and AgXeed have already pooled their expertise and developed a joint drone interface for autonomous mowing.
Heat source data obtained during the drone flight are initially stored, then processed with AI software and transferred with the associated GPS position data to the process planning tool.
This incorporates the data into route planning, enabling the autonomous mower to maintain a defined (and adjustable) safety buffer around the site of the fawn or nest.
This detour is particularly useful in fields where protected birds are breeding, as these nests cannot be removed. Farmers and contractors can track the machine’s progress live on their smartphone, tablet or PC via the AgXeed platform.
In this way, the use of autonomous mower combinations can meet demands for wildlife-friendly and sustainable grassland management as well as high area output. Furthermore, farmers can document measures taken before mowing to comply with obligations to provide supporting documentation.
In future, it will be possible to use the technology not only in autonomous field robots, but also in autonomous, driverless tractors and highly automated driven tractors and harvesting machines equipped with a steering system which follow pre-planned routes.
The application is set to become a valuable customer solution within the next few years. Safeguards ensure that POI data on the location of wildlife and breeding nests are recorded only within known, previously established field boundaries.
Field boundaries can easily be transferred from the respective farm’s farm management system.
However, if this data is not available, the drone pilot can mark the field boundaries themselves on the screen.
Next step: monitoring and controlling large working widths
During the 2024 press week, CLAAS and AgXeed demonstrated an AgBot 2.055 W4 with a VOLTO 1300 T high-performance tedder as another possible application. “Thanks to task and track planning, it is relatively simple to prepare for use with the tedder and because the crop has been mown, visibility is very good”, explains Philipp Kamps, Product Manager AgXeed.
“A system solution which deploys sensors to detect obstacles to make working widths in excess of 3m safe is currently in development. This will be compatible with mounted and trailed implements.”
Magnus Rupp, Project Manager CLAAS Saulgau, adds: “Customer demands for uncompromising work quality means that parameters such as ground speed, rotor speed and spread monitoring must also be automated. To achieve this, we are continuing to invest in development work and conducting field trials under very tough harvesting conditions.”
Other automated field and functional processes in the harvest chain to reduce the driver’s workload are also underway, with some ‘smart mowing’ solutions are already on the market.
Smart Mowing: automation for multiple applications
Mowing with a triple mower combination is one example application. The intelligent control concept enables the front mower controls to be integrated into the ISOBUS of the rear butterfly combination, or the whole mower combination to be operated via the tractor’s headland management system – whichever the operator prefers.
Furthermore, the DISCO BUSINESS models offer unique comfort features such as automatic BELT BOOST acceleration to clear the belt units at the headland, automatic belt speed reduction for one-sided lifting and automatic lifting of the mower units when shifting to reverse.
The optional CLAAS automatic slope control regulates the belt speed and ground pressure when working on slopes to ensure optimum swath formation and sward protection while minimising drift.
In addition to track planning and automatic steering using the GPS PILOT CEMIS 1200 from CLAAS, another example for mowing is the Section Control function available for all LINER BUSINESS four-rotor swathers. This ‘digital revolution’ is an unprecedented leap forward in terms of operator comfort.
For a daily output of 100 ha with an average field length of 250 m, the operator would have previously had to master up to 600 headland positions involving lifting, lowering or individual rotor lifting that required a great deal of concentration. This work is now done electronically, which significantly reduces the operator’s workload.
Standardisation is teamwork
CLAAS is working with associations as well as partners on the further development of interfaces to increase the automation of tractor, Agbot, implement and drone combinations. Their findings form the basis for the next step towards fully automated driverless machine combinations.
The 3A – ADVANCED AUTOMATION & AUTONOMY consortium has already taken the lead on this subject with the AEF (Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation) and plans to push ahead and bring other agricultural machinery manufacturers on board.
Monarch Tractor creator of the MK-V, the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional smart tractor and Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) farm management platform, has today announced a history-making $133 million Series C, making it the largest funding raising round in agricultural robotics history.
Monarch has quickly become a powerhouse within the agricultural space as an off-road electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous vehicles (AV) category leader.
To date, the company has raised over $220 million to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions as well as expanded into various agricultural markets such as vineyards, dairy, berries, orchards, and land management across 12 states and three countries.
Furthermore, in just the last two years alone they have been recognized as an influential force in farming at national and international levels via accolades, including Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups, CNBC Disruptor 50, TIME Best Inventions, and Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Companies.
The Series C funds will support the further development of Monarch’s cutting-edge AI product offering, expansion of their operational footprint domestically and globally, while enabling the company’s path to profitability.
Funding was co-led by global impact investor Astanor and HH-CTBC Partnership, L.P., with additional support from prominent investors, including At One Ventures, PMV and The Welvaartsfonds.
Monarch’s mission with farmer success at the center
Founded on the belief that food security only exists with planet sustainability and farmer profitability, Monarch has been at the forefront of the critical transition to renewably powered and more profitable farming ecosystems, which ultimately empowers farmers worldwide.
In the United States, farm profitability has steadily declined over the past decade, with the sharpest decline in industry history occurring in 2023. Given the nascent nature of technology in agriculture, the sector is ripe with untapped growth potential across automation, digital technologies and AI efficiencies, with Monarch at the forefront of this disruption and technological advancement.
“Driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and electrification, agriculture has arrived as the next frontier for the energy transition and sustainability movement,” said Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and co-founder of Monarch Tractor.
“Agriculture is our planet’s most important and overlooked sector, and those in the industry have faced significant challenges, including farm profitability, labor shortages, worker safety, government headwinds, data availability, and scrutiny for sustainability demands.
Monarch’s application of AI and introduction of a smart, electric platform will deliver robust social, economic, and environmental returns to farmers.”
AI continues to revolutionize farming machinery
Tractors have been the center of all farm operations for several decades. Yet, they’ve been underutilized as a hub for robotics innovation and farmer payback.
In December 2022, Monarch released the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor, the MK-V, to combat profit challenges, address sustainability demands, and revive agriculture innovation.
Since then, the deployment of more than 400 MK-V’s have helped; resulting in more than 850 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions offset across 42,000 hours of tractor operations.
Monarch’s WingspanAI app is equipping farmers with unprecedented access to on-farm data, integrating a farm management system, vehicle position tracking, crop image collection, and automated operations planning into one platform.
The continual development of product solutions, including the introduction of new AI capabilities, will be the driving force in closing the industry’s profit gap.
This funding round will support the expansion of Monarch’s digital solutions and AI applications, including the development of Autodrive, Monarch’s autonomous operations feature, for new global markets and crop sectors.
LongPin, Eagle Hill and Food Platform from India have signed an agreement with Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) for the development of Mkulazi Investment city in Tanzania.
The three companies will be leased a total 30,000 hectares of Mkulazi farms in Morogoro Region, for the production of sugar, soybeans and yellow corn with an investment pegged at 1.2trn.
Each company will get 10,000 hectares and the production will be mainly for export.
The move is estimated to provide 9,000 direct jobs and up to 11,000 indirect job opportunities.
Mkulazi Agriculture Investment City is a project comprising 61,000 hectares envisaged for development as an agricultural hub by TIC.
Esther Kimani has been named winner of Africa’s biggest engineering prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, at a live final event in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 June 2024.
Her early crop pest and disease detection device was selected as the winning innovation for its ability to swiftly detect and identify agricultural pests and diseases, reducing crop losses for smallholder farmers by up to 30% while increasing yields by as much as 40%.
Five million smallholder farmers in Kenya lose on average 33% of their crops to pests and diseases.
Kimani’s innovation not only provides real-time alerts within five seconds of an infestation, offering tailored intervention suggestions, but also alerts government agricultural officers to the presence of diseases or pests, contributing to broader agricultural management efforts.
The solar-powered tool uses computer vision algorithms and advanced machine learning to detect and identify crop pests, pathogens or diseases, as well as the nature of the infection or infestation.
“My parents would lose up to 40% of their crops each farming season, which affected our standard of living. We are empowering smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, to increase their income
-Esther Kimani-
The device then notifies the farmer via SMS. This affordable alternative to traditional detection methods leases for just $3 per month, significantly cheaper than hiring drones or agricultural inspectors.
The annual Africa Prize was founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014 to support innovators developing sustainable and scalable engineering solutions to local challenges in Africa.
This year has seen the Africa Prize alumni community grow to almost 150 entrepreneurs from 23 countries, who together have generated more than 28,000 jobs and benefitted more than 10 million people on the continent through their innovative products and services.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering hosted the Africa Prize Alumni Reunion, bringing together 100 innovators from the past decade for a three-day programme ahead of the final ceremony.
This momentous occasion showcased the strength of the community united by the Prize.
Esther said: “My parents would lose up to 40% of their crops each farming season, which affected our standard of living. We are empowering smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, to increase their income. We aim to scale to one million farmers in the next five years.”
Africa Prize Chair of Judges Malcolm Brinded CBE FREng said: “These awards form part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s investment of over £1 million to African innovators through grants, prizes and accelerator programmes during the tenth anniversary year of the Africa Prize.”
Esther received £50,000 to further develop the device. This is the largest amount awarded to a winner, in honour of the 10th Anniversary of the Prize.
The four finalists delivered their final business pitch to the Academy judges and an in-person audience of approximately 700.
Case IH, a brand of CNH, attended the 29th Agrishow in Brazil showcasing more than 20 machines.The main highlight, which draws attention for its size and robustness, is the Quadtrac AFS Connect 715.
The largest and most powerful tractor ever produced by the brand was presented at Agritechnica 2023, in Germany, and arrived in Brazil for the first time for the main agricultural technology fair in Latin America.
The machine features an FPT Cursor 16 engine, with 715 hp, which can reach up to 778 hp.
Recognized worldwide, the Quadtrac AFS Connect 715 has already earned Case IH AE50 awards for outstanding agricultural innovation, in addition to Good Design 2023, which highlights global industrial innovations and cutting-edge graphic designers.
Another machine that has guaranteed awards around the world is Case IH’s first 100% electric tractor concept, which was also presented at Agrishow 2024.
Also recognized by the Good Design 2023 award, the Electric Farmall also secured the Farm Machine 2024, one of the most coveted in the agricultural engineering industry, in the Utility Tractor category.
With a completely new design, it represents the first concept of a utility tractor powered entirely by a battery pack and without an internal combustion diesel engine, environmentally friendly and with zero pollutant emissions.
It is quiet and ideal for working in controlled environments such as greenhouses, sheds and with livestock. It has power, performance and technology.
Already available to rural producers, the new tractor of the Farmall family, the Farmall Max 140, has a 141 hp engine, the largest in the line.
With a 16×16 semi-powershift transmission, it has new styling and factory connectivity, sending real-time data to AFS Connect.
It has a high-capacity hydraulic system, with a 113L/min flow pump and three-point electronic lift, ensuring robustness, versatility and performance.
With the largest booth at the fair, Case IH presented even more news for rural producers. With more than 20 machines on display, with options from planting to harvesting, the brand also unveiled exclusive launches aimed at the agriculture of the future.
These included, the ethanol-powered engine. The Cursor 13 engine is a prototype for the new fuel.
The project is 100% Brazilian and developed in partnership with FPT Industrial. It is currently in the development phase and will be tested on Case IH sugarcane harvesters in the next harvest.
“The ethanol engine is a renewable fuel alternative, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions, high performance and low operating costs.
We see it as promising, especially for our customers in the sugar and alcohol sector who, in addition to contributing to the environment, will also have fuel and freight savings”, said Christian Gonzalez, Case IH’s vice president for Latin America.
In a pioneering initiative and co-financed by deg/kfw, the german company SUNfarming has started the construction of the largest agri-solar plant in South Africa.
The plant will not only produce clean energy on an area of 30,000 m² but will also contribute to food production for the rural population in the region from potchefstroom to pretoria.
The innovative concept of the system allows a unique dual use of the area. While the photovoltaic modules convert solar energy into electricity, the same area is used for agriculture, which is protected from extreme weather conditions by the system.
This symbiosis creates numerous benefits for the local population.
Largest agri-solar plant in south Africa
A key aspect of the project is the creation of jobs and educational programs. Local workers are trained and employed for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the system.
This includes not only the installation of the solar systems, but also agricultural activities such as plant cultivation and management as well as harvesting and irrigation.
It also strengthens the regional economy and promotes expertise in renewable energies and sustainable agriculture.
The infrastructure of the project is already at an advanced stage. The Agri-PV tables have been erected, the semi-transparent SF PV modules are installed and the well for the water supply has been prepared.
The structural work for the fully equipped training facilities has already been started.
The water-saving irrigation system and the shading nets will be installed shortly after the local winter.
A core element of SUNfarming is the multiple use of land and resources. The agri-solar system not only provides a sustainable source of energy, but also protects the environment and supports local agriculture. Rainwater is used efficiently, which is particularly important in arid regions.
This pioneering project demonstrates how innovative technologies and sustainable practices can bring positive change to rural communities. SUNfarming and its partners are committed to a future where energy production and agriculture go hand in hand to meet the needs of people and the environment.
This Agri-PV training project, co-financed by DEG/KfW, will continue to be operated by the non-profit organization FEED LTD South Africa and FEED e.V. Germany after the end of the project period.
Primary agriculture contributes about 3% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and also provides about 7% of formal employment.
Key to the success of the agricultural sector is the countrywide network of cooperatives, which provide a collective platform to negotiate with buying, aggregating, marketing and pro-cessing services.
South Africa’s agricultural sector comprises well-developed commercial farming systems, cooperatives on large estates and subsistence production in rural areas.
There are about 32 000 commercial farmers that contribute 80% of the country’s agricultural value.
Significant footprint
Active in the agricultural lubricant market for over 70 years, both as an OEM for machine manufacturers and in workshop services, FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA has a significant footprint in both cooperatives and commercial farming.
Hayley Arnesen, Agricultural Segment lead and Durban Branch Manager, comments that FUCHS services this segment through a variety of channels, including a large national reseller network, cooperatives, or even directly, should the requirements of the farmer warrant it.
The FUCHS’ team invests significant resources to understand the specific needs of the market and determine optimal ways to fulfil these requirements. “This ensures we adapt constantly and deliver top-notch service tailored to the market’s demands,” notes Arnesen.
“We pay a lot of attention to our offers through the cooperatives as these are pivotal to link farmers to markets, provide essential services, and contribute to the overall growth of South Africa’s agricultural output.” She adds that, without such a thriving cooperative culture, many small-scale farmers would struggle to establish viable farming operations.
Proud exhibitor
Such is the importance of the sector that FUCHS will not only again be a proud exhibitor at SA Grain’s NAMPO Harvest Day 2024 from 14 to 17 May at Bothaville in the Free State, but it will also introduce its latest UTTO product in the form of AGRIFARM UTTO FLEX.
“Our stand in the prominent NAMPO Hall will be fun and interactive, and we invite existing and potential customers to visit us,” adds Arnesen. Technical experts will be on hand to answer any questions and offer advice for specific issues.
Due to its seasonality, the agricultural industry requires specialised oils and lubricants. FUCHS has therefore formulated products to withstand the rigours of equipment operating extensively for three months and then standing idle for several consecutive months.
These include engine oils, multifunctional hydraulic and transmission oils, greases, and specialised coolants.
FUCHS’ AGRIFARM lubricants have proved successful under the most arduous conditions, ensuring the highest level of reliability for any agricultural fleet.
With a broad portfolio of specially developed lubricant solutions, the range ensures optimal all-round protection for machines and equipment.
Benefits include noticeably increased oil change intervals in engines and significantly fewer signs of wear.
The agricultural segment is highly diverse, encompassing activities from crop farming, forestry, aquaculture, and horticulture to livestock farming. The equipment employed in the sector is also constantly evolving, and often requires more specialised lubricants.
FUCHS has specific products and solutions for all applications, all tractor and farm machinery, food-grade and biodegradable products, lubricants for pivot irrigation systems, milking machines, conveyors, chainsaws, and more.
Steadily growing
The team at FUCHS not only specialises in lubricants but can also assist customers to simplify and rationalise the products they use and even to optimise and upgrade their workshops.
Arnesen adds that FUCHS is steadily growing in this segment. “We have a presence in every avenue of the sector, which means we are able to interact with the farmers in the way that best suits them to ensure we are able to meet their specific requirements. The FUCHS brand is well known in the industry, and our products have a reputation for quality and longevity.”
In addition, FUCHS’ excellent customer service ensures it engages with farmers directly. A technical expert can visit any farming operation and provide advice on how to optimise oil and lubricant use and ensure that only fit-for-purpose, OEM-approved products are used.
As the world’s population grows, so does the demand for poultry products, making efficient and sustainable broiler farming practices essential.
One key factor in optimizing broiler production is achieving target bird weights efficiently.
To address this challenge, the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as machine learning, deep learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), is ushering in a new era of precision feed management in the poultry industry.
In this article, we explore the significance of image visualization, machine learning, and IoT in predicting live bird body weight and how these technologies can lead to substantial cost savings for farmers.
Farm Input & Sustainability Dilemma
The poultry industry faces the challenge of meeting the increasing demand for poultry products sustainably.
Broiler farming has historically faced criticism related to one of the biggest use of corn as a main source of feed ingredient for live birds, as the corn field is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and habitat destruction.
Large-scale monoculture practices and the intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides have raised concerns about biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruptions. Additionally, traditional farming methods have often led to soil erosion and water depletion, exacerbating environmental challenges.
With the growing concerns over the environmental impact of traditional agricultural practices, the poultry industry is seeking innovative solutions to reduce its feed waste while ensuring efficient and sustainable production.
Precision feed livestock management, powered by cutting-edge technologies like deep learning and computer vision, holds the key to transforming broiler farming into an environmentally friendly and economically viable enterprise.
This article explores the urgency of adopting precision feed livestock management and its potential to revolutionize the broiler industry.
Path to Efficiency in Broiler Farm Management Practice
The urgency of implementing precision feed livestock management for broiler farms cannot be overstated. As global environmental challenges escalate, the poultry industry must adapt and innovate to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Embracing precision livestock farming offers a sustainable solution to the chicken production dilemma.
By implementing smart sensors, automation, and data-driven decision-making, farmers can optimize feed management and reduce wastage significantly. Precision feeding systems tailored to individual bird requirements ensure efficient feed utilization and minimize environmental impact.
Utilizing smart poultry management systems like deep learning and computer vision in broiler farming promises to revolutionize the industry, significantly reducing its environmental impact while embracing precision feed management.
Embracing big data analytics and IoT infrastructure technologies further enhances the capacity of poultry production systems.
By implementing these advanced technologies, the poultry industry can secure a prosperous and sustainable future, ensuring the quality and safety of food processing for the benefit of consumers and society at large.
Precision Farming
The ever-increasing demand for broiler chicken places immense pressure on the poultry industry to scale up production.
However, this pursuit of higher yields often comes at a cost – inefficiencies in non-precise feed livestock practices. As we produce more chicken, more feed is wasted, and the consequences extend beyond economic losses.
The primary source of chicken feed, corn, contributes to deforestation and exacerbates global warming. Embracing precision livestock farming is not only a solution to these challenges but an urgent necessity to secure a sustainable future.
Traditional poultry farming methods rely on non-precise feed management, leading to excess feed consumption and wastage. This inefficiency not only strains the financial resources of farmers but also puts undue pressure on land and natural resources.
As corn becomes the primary source of feed, the demand for its production intensifies. The cultivation of vast cornfields contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming and climate change.
The excessive use of land and water resources for corn cultivation further strains our ecosystems and threatens the delicate balance of the environment. Converting forests into cornfields to meet the rising feed demand contributes significantly to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
Precision feeding is a game-changer in broiler chicken production, where meeting target bird weights is vital.
By using technology to regulate the release of feed to individual birds based on their weight, precision feeding minimizes body weight variation and improves feed conversion.
It also allows for multiple feeding periods per day, leading to increased efficiency compared to traditional once-daily feeding methods.
Precision feed livestock management leverages advanced technologies, such as deep learning and computer vision, to optimize the nutrition and health of broiler chickens while minimizing waste and resource consumption.
Tech Support
In broiler farming, achieving the desired body weight of live birds is critical for maximizing production efficiency. Farmers commonly use standardized accumulated daily weight (SADW) to track bird growth and determine the right time for processing.
However, maintaining precise control over body weight can be challenging due to variations in individual bird growth rates.
This is where advanced technologies like machine learning and deep learning come into play.
The integration of image visualization, deep learning, and IoT in predicting live bird body weight and precision feed management presents an unprecedented opportunity for the Indonesian poultry industry.
By optimizing feed usage and creating a conducive farm environment, broiler farmers can achieve substantial cost savings while increasing production efficiency.
Computer Vision
Source: Deep learning and machine vision for food processing: A survey
Computer vision, a subset of machine learning, has revolutionized many industries, and its impact on broiler farming is no exception. By leveraging deep learning algorithms, computer vision can accurately predict live bird body weight by analyzing images of the birds.
This non-invasive and real-time monitoring approach allows farmers to assess individual bird growth continuously, enabling proactive decision-making.
Once the deep learning model predicts live bird body weight, farmers can effectively manage feed intake.
If a bird’s body weight exceeds the threshold set by the SADW, the system can trigger actions to reduce feed intake for that specific bird.
This precision feed management approach optimizes feed usage, minimizing wastage and ensuring that each bird receives the appropriate amount of feed based on its growth trajectory.
Environmental monitoring systems
Optimizing the poultry house environment is crucial for maximizing production. PLF technologies allow for real-time monitoring of factors such as temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations.
For example, relative humidity sensors can regulate ventilation rates to maintain optimal humidity levels, which can impact bird health and production.
Implementation of more advanced multi-sensor systems can further enhance environmental monitoring.
This innovative approach enables farmers to tailor feed rations precisely, considering individual bird requirements, growth stages, and health conditions.
Smart Sensors: Advanced sensors are integrated into poultry houses to collect real-time data on various parameters, including temperature, air velocity, humidity, gas concentrations (e.g., carbon dioxide and ammonia), and bird activity. These sensors allow farmers to monitor and optimize the poultry house environment, ensuring optimal conditions for production and bird welfare
Automation: IoT technologies enable communication between farm sensors, devices, and equipment, leading to the automation of multiple farm procedures. Automation streamlines processes and reduces labor requirements, improving operational efficiency.
Data-Driven Decision Making: The large volume of data generated by smart sensors requires sophisticated big data analytical tools. By employing data analytics, farmers can make informed decisions in real time, optimizing production outcomes.
Deep learning algorithms analyze vast datasets to understand the nutritional needs of broiler chickens more accurately.
By examining factors such as breed, age, weight, and environmental conditions, these algorithms can develop personalized feed plans for each bird.
As a result, the birds receive optimal nutrition, promoting healthy growth and reducing the need for excessive feed usage. Computer vision technology can monitor the health of broiler chickens in real time.
High-resolution cameras capture images and videos of the birds, allowing AI-powered systems to identify early signs of illness, stress, or injury. Early detection enables prompt intervention, reducing the need for antibiotics and enhancing animal welfare.
Conclusion
The potential benefits of implementing these advanced technologies in broiler farming are undeniable.
The integration of image visualization, deep learning, and IoT in predicting live bird body weight and precision feed management presents an unprecedented opportunity for the Indonesian poultry industry.
By optimizing feed usage and creating a conducive farm environment, broiler farmers can achieve substantial cost savings while increasing production efficiency.
Embracing these cutting-edge technologies will not only pave the way for a brighter future for the poultry industry but also contribute to sustainable and resource-efficient farming practices, benefiting both farmers and consumers alike.
A conservative estimate of a 5% increase in feed intake efficiency would be an additional savings of IDR 4.2 Trillion or USD 282 million.
Startups, venture capitalists, and forward-thinking entities have a significant opportunity to lead the charge in transforming Indonesian poultry farming through precision feed management.
The time is ripe for innovative agritech startups and investors to drive this revolution in the Indonesian poultry farming landscape.
About the author
Setiawan, is a Product Owner at Chickin Technologies, leads transformative efforts in the poultry farming sector. With expertise in collaborative strategy development, risk management, fundraising, and operational optimization, he drives initiatives to revolutionize the industry.
Aquaculture production operations that help feed the world’s growing population also generate polluted wastewater that harms the environment.
Four studies published by Purdue University scientists since last May document the feasibility of previously unproven methods for successfully treating the wastewater.
“Those wastewaters are not good for the environment because they discharge a large amount of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus,” said Jen-Yi Huang, associate professor of food science.
These nutrients cause harmful conditions such as oxygen depletion and algae blooms when they are discharged into the aquatic environment. We want to use microalgae as a wastewater treatment approach.
We grow algae in the aquaculture wastewater,” said Huang, who led a study focusing on microbial use of nutrients as a biological wastewater treatment method.
One will be published June 1 in Environmental Research, and the others were published in the March 15, 2024, and Aug. 15, 2023, issues of Environmental Pollution.
In Bioresource Technology, Huang and his co-authors presented the results of their life cycle assessment (LCA) on microalgae-based treatments of wastewater from a recirculating aquaculture system for shrimp. The LCA analyzed the environmental impact of the shrimp production process from feed production to wastewater treatment for a commercial farm in Fowler, Indiana.
“The result of this paper provides the proof of concept on an experimental scale,” Huang said.
The USDA projects seek to develop zero-waste aquaculture (growing aquatic organisms under controlled conditions) and aquaponics (combining aquaculture with plant cultivation in nutrient-enriched water) systems.
“We want to fully recover the nutrients from the wastewater using microalgae,” Huang said.
The goal is to ensure that zero-waste food production is both technically feasible and environmentally sustainable. The latter requires a production system that avoids generating a large environmental footprint.
“There is a trade-off because operating the microalgae wastewater treatment still requires some energy input,” Huang said. “The LCA evaluated the tradeoff between the nutrient recovery and additional energy input for the algal wastewater treatment.”
Huang’s team found that the microalgae wastewater treatment process is environmentally feasible.
Further, the team found that even with the energy requirements factored in, the microalgae treatment works better than the conventional activated-sludge wastewater treatment method.
“Using the microalgae as the wastewater treatment method can indeed improve the environmental performance of aquaculture production,” Huang said.
All three studies by Simsek’s team were conducted at Purdue’s Aquaculture Research Laboratory. In two of those studies, the scientists analyzed treating separate tilapia and shrimp wastewater streams with the same four strains of algae and two strains of bacteria.
“Wastewater always has bacteria,” Simsek said. “We are using natural bacteria that already exist in the wastewater to remove contaminants.”
The research team measured nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and other parameters in the wastewater during the experiments. These included chemical oxygen demand, a measure of environmentally harmful effluent discharge.
“All these parameters can be removed in the wastewaters using algae and bacteria together,” Simsek said. The types of algae and bacteria selected for the study are the most commonly occurring natural strains.
“Every wastewater is different,” he noted, meaning that different industrial sectors produce different wastewater and, therefore, may need different treatment methods.
The March 15 Environmental Pollution study results demonstrated the potential for applying microalgae and native bacteria together for treating larger-scale tilapia wastewater.
In the 2023 study, Simsek and his co-authors evaluated electrocoagulation (EC) and electrooxidation (EO) treatments of shrimp wastewater, both separately and together.
EC and EO, widely used methods for treating agricultural and other types of wastewaters, remove pollutants via electricity to drive chemical reactions.
The researchers also applied a modeling approach often used to determine optimal factors that affect the electrochemical method.
“The results of the study show EC and EO processes are potentially beneficial for the treatment of aquaculture wastewater,” Simsek and his co-authors wrote. They suggested larger-scale testing of EC and EO for the treatment to reduce toxic environmental effects.
“The developed treatment system combined with other treatment methods could be useful to treat various types of wastewaters throughout the world, which can help support the development of the zero-waste policy,” they wrote.
