Internet of Things – Improving Animal Welfare and Reducing Use of Water

It’s been a buzz word for some time now; the internet of things (IoT), which sees the adoption of technologies including sensor-controlled rooms for growing lettuces, cows connected to the internet to improve milk, and even bees receiving a boost from automated heaters. A report by Beecham Research, as detailed in The Guardian, examines how the use of IoT has real potential to cut costs and boost food production. It is believed that certain IoT techniques could boost food production by 70 per cent by 2050, which might include the use of sensors to improve animal welfare and reductions in the use of resources such as water; a very precious and as or late, very precarious resource across the agricultural sectors. Of course, the idea of ‘web connected’ cows sounds comical, but a project run by Writtle College’s Dr Jonathan Amory used sensors to track dairy cows to help farmers spot illnesses earlier, creating an early warning system for disease to reduce animal suffering and to improve milk yields. With collars fitted, more than a hundred cows had their positions tracked every ten seconds for 6 months. Revealing the positions of cows turns out to be very useful data. For instance, cows lying on their own might be an indication of illness and when cows move more quickly, this can indicate that they are in heat. The results could also spell a 50 per cent increase in meat production as just one example. When it comes to reducing the use of resources such as water, Enduramaxx rainwater harvesting solutions can help farmers to control their own water supplies, cutting back on their use of mains water and increasingly regulated river extraction. Roof rainwater run-off is directed into large, vertical or horizontal storage tanks. Made using a single piece of rotationally-moulded, UV-stabilised polyethylene, rainwater is stored safely and at optimum condition. If you are interested in finding out more about how rainwater harvesting can help you, please contact a member of the Enduramaxx team today.

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