A Review on Information Technologies Applicable to Precision Dairy Farming: Focus on Behavior, Health Monitoring, and the Precise Feeding of Dairy Cows

Na Liu, Jingwei Qi (), Xiaoping An and Yuan Wang
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Na Liu: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Jingwei Qi: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Xiaoping An: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
Yuan Wang: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: Milk production plays an essential role in the global economy. With the development of herds and farming systems, the collection of fine-scale data to enhance efficiency and decision-making on dairy farms still faces challenges. The behavior of animals reflects their physical state and health level. In recent years, the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and computer vision (CV) has made great progress in the research of precision dairy farming. Combining data from image, sound, and movement sensors with algorithms, these methods are conducive to monitoring the behavior, health, and management practices of dairy cows. In this review, we summarize the latest research on contact sensors, vision analysis, and machine-learning technologies applicable to dairy cattle, and we focus on the individual recognition, behavior, and health monitoring of dairy cattle and precise feeding. The utilization of state-of-the-art technologies allows for monitoring behavior in near real-time conditions, detecting cow mastitis in a timely manner, and assessing body conditions and feed intake accurately, which enables the promotion of the health and management level of dairy cows. Although there are limitations in implementing machine vision algorithms in commercial settings, technologies exist today and continue to be developed in order to be hopefully used in future commercial pasture management, which ultimately results in better value for producers.

Keywords: information technologies; precision dairy farming; individual recognition; behavioral monitoring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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