Development of innovative technology for analyzing the chemical composition of milk, and fermentation gas measurement sensors online combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additive in milking robots to reduce the emission of ammonia, methane

Project title: Development of innovative technology for analyzing the chemical composition of milk, and fermentation gas measurement sensors online combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additive in milking robots to reduce the emission of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide to the environment.

Agriculture, including high-yielding dairy breeding, is an important source of greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions affect global climate warming. Therefore, an important factor limiting milk production in the next years will be the negative perception by potential consumers of the adverse impact of this group of farm animals on the environment. Due to into account the above relationships, animal breeding and production will be subject to dynamic changes in both methods and technologies to meet increasingly higher requirements regarding the welfare of dairy cows and environmental protection.

• It is, therefore, necessary to take action now, among other things, aimed at optimizing the feeding model of high-yielding dairy cows, which will enable both maintaining high milk production and protecting the environment, combining the convergence of ecological, economic, and social aims.
• Optimization of the chemical composition of the feed, the use of innovative feed additives, and feeding strategies for high-yielding dairy cows in milking robots seem to be key, future actions directly influencing the reduction of the negative impact of ruminant animals on the environment.

The result of the operation will be an innovative technology for analyzing the chemical composition of milk and online fermentation gas measurement sensors combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additives in milking robots to reduce the emission of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide into the environment.

The main aim of the operation is to develop an innovative technology for analyzing the chemical composition of milk and fermentation gas sensors (methane, carbon dioxide) online, combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additives in milking robots to reduce the emission of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide into the environment.

The details aims of the operation are: 

1. development of prototypes of micro-dosing of feed additives in milking robots according to milk yield, chemical composition of milk, and microclimate in the barn. 
2. development of prototypes of sensors for measuring methane and carbon dioxide emissions online during concentrate intake in a milking robot. 
3. development of an analyzer prototype for milk chemical composition determination including e.g. the milk urea content online in a milking robot using the FTIR method.
4. diet balancing online - feed additives provision, and decreasing the nutrient concentration e.g. crude protein without decreasing milk yield and productivity of dairy cows.
5. develop a new, feeding strategy for high-yielding dairy cows through maximizing rumen microbial protein synthesis, and improving the total digestibility of crude protein and organic matter.

The results of the operation will contribute to improving the economic results of the farm by reducing the total costs of milk production (precision feeding of dairy cows in milking robots, reducing the concentration of crude protein in the feed, improving feed conversion rates, limiting nutrient losses by reducing ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide emissions to the environment, improving animal welfare, extending longevity) and increasing daily and lactation milk yield by approximately 20-30%, respectively.

Project activities

• Step I Modification of milking robots - development of prototypes of automatic micro-dozers for feed additives and methane and carbon dioxide emission sensors in milking robots.
• Step II Installation of modified milking robots.
• Step III Research, and development works - development of a prototype of the FTIR analyzer of the individual chemical composition of milk.
• Step IV Installation of a prototype of fermentation gas sensors (methane and carbon dioxide) in milking robots.
• Step V Development of software for database aggregation and management. 
• Step VI Research work - dairy cows experiment in a Latin square design. 

Practice summary

The effect of the operation will be the implementation of innovative technology based on the analysis of the individual chemical composition of milk and sensors measuring fermentation gases (methane, carbon dioxide) online, combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additives in milking robots in dairy farms.

• The results of the operation can be divided into technological innovation, a new model of dairy cow feeding, and the development of the dairy industry.
• The developed and implemented technology will allow for the feeding of high-yielding dairy cows, limiting the negative impact of cattle breeding and rearing on the environment (greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions), which affect directly to improvement of animal welfare and the profitability of milk production.
• The operation will potentially allow for very high daily (over 50 kg of milk) and lactation (over 12,000 kg of milk) productivity while reducing greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions to the environment by 20% and 40%, respectively.
• Moreover, the implementation of a precision feeding model will improve the health status and longevity of dairy cows, thus reducing the risk to the environment resulting from milk production.

Additional comments

Education: Due to the necessity of the implementation of new solutions in dairy cattle breeding and milk production, it is recommended to prepare an educational program. Training for breeders, vets, and cattle nutrition consultants can help them understand the benefits of innovative technology resulting from the operation. 

Scientific research: To verify the research hypotheses and test four experimental factors with different levels (control, amino acids, phytogenic additives, crude protein), the Latin Square experimental design will be used. The research results will be used to develop a pro-ecological model of precise feeding of high-yielding dairy cows in milking robots. 

Messages for consumers: The operation will contribute to ensuring the stable production of high-quality milk - an important feed of the human diet. An important factor limiting the breeding and rearing of dairy cattle, and thus milk production in the next years, will be the negative perception by potential consumers of the negative impact of ruminants on the environment - emissions of ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide. The development of the above technology based on the current analysis of the chemical composition of milk, online fermentation gas measurement sensors combined with automatic micro-dosing of feed additives in milking robots will be valuable to reduce the negative impact of ruminants on the environment and increase individual, daily and lactation milk yield by approximately 20-30%. As a result of the operation, it is planned to obtain excellent quality milk with excellent physicochemical parameters. Such a product can be offered to consumers on the Polish market or be an export product to the markets of many European countries and the world. The implementation of the results of the operation in other regions of our country may result in obtaining and promoting new certificates for products produced on environmentally friendly dairy farms. 

The operation will contribute to building bridges between the latest research knowledge and technology and farmers, entrepreneurs and advisory services. In addition, the use of online measurement of planned indicators and the IoT system in the developed precision feeding model for dairy cows will enable precise animal monitoring and herd management as well as improved animal welfare, which will contribute to increased production performance and production of high nutritional value milk. Achieving the above indicators and targets is feasible under the conditions of cooperation between the entities that make up the MilkOnLine operational group. The MilkOnLine group is set up with a view to optimising results: practice in breeding, combined with the scientific and research sphere and professional advice. The IoT system used in the operation is in line with modern trends of knowledge-based agricultural production using innovative methods of organisation and marketing.