Tag: vistamilk

VistaMilk uses Satellites to Help Irish Dairy Farmers Manage the Land

Using measurements from space to help Irish farmers manage their farms may sound like science fiction but it’s actually science fact. Real-time information about soil moisture is an essential tool for farmers when planning and managing the efficient use of their land and a VistaMilk study is using satellites in earth’s orbit to collect that information.

The research project is utilising imagery from the Europe Space Agency’s Sentinel satellites to map soil moisture in Ireland, with the capability of focusing in on areas as small as 10 square metres. The data gathered could be used to help farmers make decisions about which fields to allow their livestock feed while maintaining optimal grazing and grass growth, which fields require drainage or even wetting, and potentially when to add or reduce use of fertilisers and slurry.

Rumia Basu, a VistaMilk PhD student from Teagasc, at the University of Galway, who is running the project said:

“The importance of understanding the soil moisture levels both historically and on a given day is an essential part of daily farming particularly as decisions made can impact not only production outputs but also the environment. The models we are developing that will provide real time information to assist farmers in their decision making is leading-edge and – due to Ireland’s climate – quite unique.

“Using high resolution satellite radar data which is available in all weather, day or night, combined with optical observation data allows us to provide daily information that one day we hope will be available on an app that farmers can use on what we know to be one of their most valuable pieces of equipment – their phones. As we are able to home in on an area as small as 10 metres square, we will be able to provide farmers with data on a field-by-field basis. “

According to VistaMilk, the satellite soil moisture data has the potential to become part of the farm management toolkit which will help Irish farmers manage their farms more efficiently and in an increasingly environmentally friendly way.

Pat Tuohy, Funded investigator, VistaMilk, said “As well as daily moisture reports we can also look back at historical data to identify areas of a farm that are adversely affected by prolonged periods of wet or dry weather. This will inform farmers where land management strategies may be required.

“Complemented by weather forecasting data the information could potentially influence decisions on where, when and how to apply fertilisers and slurry and what interventions may be required to prevent runoff from the land into watercourses.

“The satellite data could also influence other research projects.  For example, there is ongoing research  into carbon sequestration levels on Irish farms. The possibility of combining results from such projects – as well as others looking at grass growth, for example – could give us a picture of how best to manage soils to increase carbon absorption without affecting productivity.

“Four years on, since the VistaMilk Research Centre was created, it is encouraging to see that our research is making a real contribution to ensuring a sustainable future for dairy farming in Ireland, preserving a traditional way of life, providing significant employment, and making a considerable contribution to the Irish economy. “

A podcast about Rumia Basu’s ongoing research can be found at  https://www.vistamilk.ie/podcasts/

Scientists deploy dairy drones to help farmers choose the best fields.

Irish farmers could soon be using hi-tech ‘dairy drone’ imagery and a form of artificial intelligence to help them decide which fields to let their cows graze.

Researchers at Teagasc, UCD and DCU, funded by the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre based in Teagasc, Moorepark, Co Cork, are currently testing the accuracy of physical and lab-based observations of grass growth against new image-analysing, machine-learning models based on photos captured by drones and static cameras. The aim is to produce predictive data of the yield and composition of grass growth on pastures. This innovation is designed to help farmers determine the best time and which areas to allow their cows feed.

To date, the predictive models based on a simple photograph are resulting in 95% accuracy rates when compared to physical observations.

Deirdre Hennessy, VistaMilk Funded Investigator and Senior Teagasc Research Officer, said that grass and pasture management is vitally important for the success of Ireland’s €5bn dairy industry.

Deirdre said: “It’s not as simple as letting the cows out to eat where and when they want. Farmers are constantly walking their fields monitoring grass growth, paying particular attention to its yield, composition, and its grazing suitability. They must determine when there are adequate quantities available to feed their animals while making sure they avoid having too much grass, leading to waste and poor quality or potentially under grazing.

“This is very labour intensive and time consuming, and the research that VistaMilk is funding is designed to provide them with that information more easily and quickly.”

“Image-analysing, machine-learning algorithms will work with pictures captured by drones – and even satellites in the future. The potential of what we can do in will only be limited by our imaginations. We can theoretically look at sending out drone swarms that will return their information to a base in a matter of minutes, giving farmers in a whole county the results that will allow them to make better business decisions while farming more sustainably.

“I personally think that would be some achievement and a sight to see, if and when it becomes viable. For now, we will continue to prove that our drone captured imaging algorithms work and will leave the scaling up to the next generation of researchers that are following closely behind.”

The quality of Irish dairy is, in large part, due to the fact that our cows are grass-fed. Currently 5,000 Irish farmers are using a grassland management app called PastureBase Ireland to input their physical observations of grass growth and get results by the time they are finished walking their land. However, there are many factors that can skew the outcomes, including, for example, the subjectivity of observations made by different people.

Deirdre added: “Knowledge of how your grass is growing and what else is in your paddock, such as clover, can make a huge difference to a farm’s profitability and sustainability. The imaging analysis work that is ongoing in VistaMilk and with our partners will make the process more accurate and automated, thereby making it easier for the farmer to make timely and correct decisions on how to manage their fields.”

Farmers who use PastureBase Ireland are already reducing the need to purchase supplemental food to feed their cattle. It is estimated that every tonne of extra grass grazed is worth in the region of €172 to a farm, which adds up to a substantial amount of money over the course of approximately 300 days of grazing each year.

Additionally, the improved understanding of the mix of grasses and other plants like white and red clover are reducing the requirement for artificial fertilisers and improving quality of winter silage. All the while resulting in increasing milk yields and quality of the end product manufactured in Ireland worth an estimated €5bn to the economy.

Deirdre concluded: “The ultimate goal is to create an app that uses a combination of physical observations, weather predictive models and automated grass imaging that will save time and money for the farmers.

“While we are not there quite yet the future is just around the corner.”