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18/10/2016

IRTA is involved in a European Project about precision technology and data use in dairy farming

4D4F aims to improve the decision making on dairy farms based on data generated by sensors

The Project 4D4F (Data Driven Dairy Decisions for Farmers) started this 2016 and it aims at developing a network for dairy farmers, dairy technology suppliers, data companies, dairy advisors, veterinarians and researchers to improve the decision making on dairy farms based on data generated by sensors.

This goal is essential to guarantee future productivity and sustainability of European dairy industry, and to improve dairy farms towards greater professionalization.

The Project, with a Budget of 2 million euros in the agenda of the European Commission Horizon 2020, has 16 partners from 9 European countries (Spain, UK, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Estonia and Latvia), and it includes either technological companies (Delaval, Porphyrio) or universities, technology institutes and innovative companies.

The network will develop a Community of Practice (COP) comprised of farmers, farm advisors, technology suppliers, knowledge exchange professionals and researchers who will work together to debate, collect and communicate best practice drawn from innovative farmers, industry and the research community to facilitate the co-creation of best practice.

IRTA will be present in all the work packages of the project, starting with their participation in the COP, which can already be join via the project website. IRTA will also be involved in the creation of best practice guides on the use of sensors and data analysis tools supported by videos, infographics and an online virtual warehouse of dairy sensors technologies. Furthermore, the network will include the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which can be tailored to individual farms to help farmers and farm advisors adopt dairy sensor and data analysis technology. The online COP and published communication tools will be complimented by on farm events and workshops to help farmers and farm advisors implement innovative sensor and data analysis technologies. The workshops and events will promote discussion between farmers and their peers on how best to use sensors and data analysis in their own businesses. This will lead to local peer to peer support to facilitate the adoption of data driven dairy decision making.