Technology can help us manage busy schedules, stay on track with our fitness goals and connect with family and friends who live far away. In many ways, the newest tech gadgets can also be advantageous for our pets — but do they have any downsides? In humans, for example, too much time spent engaged with our phones can be detrimental to our mental and physical health. So, is there such a thing as too much technology for our pets?

In order to live their best lives, pets only require the right nutrition, care, exercise and attention. While technology will never replace a cat curled up in her owner’s lap or a devoted canine companion lying at his owner’s feet, it can simplify life with pets in several ways.

1. Nutrition: An estimated 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese. As such, a tech tool for weight management can be a real life-changer for chubby pets. Smart feeders and smart scales can help with portion control. Smart feeders for multi-pet families ensure that each pet is given the right amount of food and can also help cut down on fights over the dinner bowl. Smart water bowls encourage drinking and are a simple way to monitor whether or not pets with medical conditions are drinking enough.
2. Veterinary care: Apps can help connect pet parents with vets and other healthcare providers. Visits to the veterinary clinic can be both stressful and inconvenient, but a virtual visit or text chat with a vet can eliminate some of those issues. At-home doggy DNA tests can unravel the mystery of a mixed-breed dog’s genetic makeup, allowing owners to learn more about the potential health issues linked to their pet’s breed and background. Microbiome test kits identify the type of microorganisms living in our pet’s digestive tract, giving us further insight into their health, immunity and behavior.
3. Exercise: GPS devices and step trackers can tell us just how active our pets have been during the day. Are they couch potatoes, or are they running laps around the living room? This data can help us determine whether a 30-minute walk will be enough to wear out our pup at the end of the day or if we will need to spend more time at the dog park. This technology can also help us locate our pets if they decide to go on an unapproved solo adventure.
4. Cameras: Who doesn’t want to see what their pets get up to when they’re left at home alone? Whether it’s separation anxiety — in the pet or the human — or a burning desire to help your fur-baby become the next viral video star, smart cameras give us a peek at what our pets do when we’re not around. They can also help keep our pets safe in the event of a fire or break-in. And who knows? You may even catch them doing a little counter-surfing — in which case, you can offer them a quick scolding via video chat.

Pet technology certainly has its advantages: smart cameras help keep both our pets and our homes safe, walking around the block in order to earn a badge on an app is still exercise, and texting with your vet can provide peace of mind. Ultimately, however, we should remember that pets are pretty low-tech; their biggest desire is usually just the pleasure of our company. Technology will only continue to improve and make our lives easier — for example, autonomous robots designed to automatically scoop dog poop are currently in the works. This begs the question, though: Will we eventually be plagued with too much data from our pets? All we know right now is that this is a possibility. In the end, owners will be best-served to remember that an app, a smart bowl or several hours of livestream video will never replace what we love most about our pets and the joy we feel in caring for them.

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Today, most of us rely heavily on technology to simplify all aspects of our lives, from communication to organization. On average, Americans check their smartphones once every 12 minutes, and many report experiencing anxiety or feeling unsettled when their phones are off or out of reach. This makes sense; our phones often contain apps that help us juggle the endless activities and commotion surrounding our daily lives. And the options are seemingly endless — we have apps to tell us about the weather, to help us keep track of our fitness and finances, and even to build our grocery lists.

Considering how integral this technology is to modern life, it comes as no surprise that apps are also starting to make an impact on the horse world. There are a variety of options available that cater to every equestrian, from the casual pleasure rider to the broodmare manager at a top Thoroughbred farm. No matter who they are designed for, these apps often share one common goal: to simplify horse care and provide instant access to important information.  

Apps for tracking your ride

Whether you are a high-level competitor showing horses at the upper levels or a backyard pleasure rider out for a weekend trail ride, there are apps available to improve your ride. For instance, the Hylofit and equinITy apps help monitor fitness by tracking the heart rates of both horse and rider; they also monitor performance data to allow for the real-time assessment of performance and recovery during workouts. This rapid and continuous feedback allows riders and trainers to adjust their conditioning programs to ensure that their elite equine athletes will achieve optimal fitness.

For the pleasure rider, apps like Horse Rider SOS and Ride With Me act as an extra safety measure, especially for those who ride alone or in unfamiliar areas. These apps can provide peace of mind by monitoring your movements during a ride. When the app notices a period of inactivity, which could be the result of a dangerous situation — for instance, if the rider has fallen and cannot call for help — the app will alert the rider’s predetermined emergency contacts and share the rider’s location.  

Apps for horse health

The days of frantically trying to remember when your horse was last shod or when you are next scheduled to see the vet are over, thanks to apps like Horse Keeper and Horse Health Tracker. These apps allow you to access your horse’s health information — from their body weight to their vaccination records — in a single swipe. Both apps monitor weight and body condition, allowing you to keep notes about the diets of individual horses. They can even sync with your smartphone calendar to provide you with reminders about upcoming healthcare appointments, and they allow you to share this data with other users. And if you become aware of an issue or a problem, an app like Horse Side Vet Guide^® can give you access to information and practical advice, which could be helpful to have on-hand prior to contacting your vet.

Apps for barn management

Along with these apps for riding and tracking horse heath, there are other apps to help equine professionals run their businesses more efficiently. The University of Minnesota’s Hay Price Calculator app provides an easy way to compare hay prices by calculating the price per ton of baled hay. The PonyApp allows barn managers to track their horses’ daily activities, manage expenses and even add reminders about their stable, while also providing industry news and information. For the active trainer working with multiple students and horses, apps like BarnManager and StableSecretary can help maintain plans for both the short term (e.g., lesson scheduling) and the long term (e.g., yearly competition goals) — and this information can also be accessed by clients.

Looking for something more particular or focused than the previously mentioned apps? There are endless options, with new apps being released almost daily. For the international competitor, the FEI RuleApp provides on-the-go access to rules and regulations. For the racing enthusiast, Equibase Today’s Racing allows you to track your favorite racehorses in your very own virtual stable. For those who simply want to connect with other horse enthusiasts, there are options like The Equestrian App or Huufe: For Equestrians, which serve as social media platforms designed exclusively for equestrians. No matter what you’re looking for, you are sure to find something useful, thanks to the many apps tailored to nearly every aspect of equestrian life.

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Winner of Inventor program will be honored at Aqua InDepth, a global aqua conference taking place in the Netherlands this September

The journey toward feeding a population of 9.7 billion people by 2050 will require the global protein industry to be better, faster and more efficient than it is today. Alltech Coppens recognizes that aquaculture has a leading role to play, and that increasing production will not only come from giant leaps in new technologies but from small steps forward, enabling farmers to move beyond simple challenges.

“We understand that farmers are inherently inventors. At Alltech Coppens, we want to pay tribute to the small and big innovations happening each day on aqua farms across the world. We want to empower farmers who are contributing to a Planet of Plenty™ by supporting their inventions and bringing them to a global stage,” said Pat Charlton, CEO of Alltech Coppens.

No invention is too simple or complex for the Inventor program. Ideas can come from all aspects of aquaculture: Hatchery, feeding, growing, catching, processing or marketing. Along with having the opportunity to showcase their invention to leaders and peers of the aquaculture industry, the winner of the Inventor program will also win €2,000 worth of Alltech Coppens feed. Additionally, the winner will receive support from the Alltech Innovation team to help them develop their idea and communicate it to the aquaculture industry.

Farmers from around the world are encouraged to enter their inventions by emailing inventor@alltech.com by Thursday, September 5, 2019. For more information log on to alltechcoppens.com/inventor.

Despite the undoubtedly huge opportunities for growth that currently exist in aquaculture — particularly in Asia — the rising costs associated with farm inputs, raw materials and feed remain a growing concern. Maintaining an optimal feed conversion ratio is now more important than ever, and managing costs is key to operating a successful and profitable fish farm. Reducing costs in an effort to maximize profits must be done cautiously, however, so as not to negatively impact the rate of progress — and some factors that seem relatively minor can actually have a dramatic impact on growth. My top five management tips for reducing costs on your farm are included below.

1. Provide a nutritionally balanced feed.

It should come as no surprise that, generally, the operational element producers spend the most money on is feed. In fact, some farms report that feed constitutes as much as 50–70% of their operational costs. Although important, the cost per pound should not be the primary deciding factor when it comes to selecting feed; performance must also be considered. Using a subpar feed can actually be more costly in the long run, resulting in an unwanted increase to your feed conversion ratio (FCR). Based on the FCR, farms can improve the amount of feed necessary to produce one unit of meat. Lower-cost feed is often seen as the most efficient — but even if the feed cost per pound of fish or shrimp produced is lower, when you take the growth rate and other factors into account, the bottom line will be affected by the time the fish reaches market size.

Evaluating feed performance by considering multiple characteristics is both efficient and practical. Some characteristics to consider include:  

• Feed efficiency
• Growth rate
• Overall quality
• Digestibility
• Health and immune support
• Reduced medication costs
• Water quality maintenance

The quality and integrity of the selected feed will vary for different species and stages of life. Formulating the feed correctly will help ensure the best results for both the animal and the farm. Determining the protein content is a simple and common way to evaluate feed quality — the higher, the better.

2. Support health.

Providing feed that offers a good nutritional balance will directly impact both the FCR and the overall success of your farm. Vitamins and minerals must be added to the feed in order to create a nutritionally balanced and truly complete diet that will meet the basic nutritional requirements of fish and shrimp.

Each species and stage of growth has specific nutritional needs, but a healthy gut is essential to achieving and maintaining optimal health for all fish and shrimp. The intestinal microflora, gut morphology, the immune system and nutrient uptake — as well as how each of these elements interact — all play a role in the health and performance of fish and shrimp. Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) are proven to influence gut health; however, different methods of fermentation, manufacturing and yeast strains can greatly impact functionality.

Animals in farmed environments also require essential nutrients to meet their basic nutritional needs. Organic trace minerals are ideal because they are more bioavailable and better absorbed, stored and utilized by the animal than inorganics. Alltech has proven that organic trace minerals in the form of Bioplex^® and Sel-Plex^® can be included at significantly lower levels while still supporting animal performance, effectively optimizing animal mineral requirements and reducing their negative impact on the environment.

3. Maintain optimal water quality.

Proper water quality maintenance is dependent on an understanding that the correct water quality and culture for fish and shrimp is absolutely essential. The ideal environmental conditions will vary among different species of fish and shrimp. Not maintaining these conditions could negatively affect growth and performance — and the risk for disease on the farm could potentially increase if the immune response declines.

Using a nutritionally balanced, quality selection of raw materials in your aqua feed will result in higher palatability and digestibility and will be directly evident in the waste excreted by the fish and shrimp. Low feed digestibility will lead to increased protein and mineral excretion. This waste can contain potentially harmful amounts of nitrogen and ammonia, which can pollute the water and endanger both fish and shrimp.

When selecting feed, pay closer attention to protein utilization than to protein content, as this can save both time and some of the labor costs associated with treating water and overall management.

4. Develop a best-practices management program.

This is essential for achieving optimal farm performance. A well-implemented management program will support better feeding and biosecurity practices.

• Review feeding tables for accurate information on the frequency of feedings, feeding rates, ration sizes and timing.
• Communicate well with team members doing less technical work; this is crucial for successful implementation. Make them aware that both overfeeding and underfeeding can negatively impact the FCR — and that, alternately, accurate feed management can greatly improve farm results.
• Automated feeding technologies require an initial investment, but they actually help reduce labor costs over time and put an end to feeding practices that can contribute to poor water quality.

The proper management practices mentioned above will also create greater opportunities for scaling.

5. Implement technology.

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are a relatively recent innovation. Designing an RAS facility gives producers more control and allows for the heightened management of aquaculture systems. Having complete control over all of the elements of production helps ensure a stable environment, as well as a reduction in the stressful conditions that can impact and weaken the animal’s immune system. Choosing the correct feed is equally important with these types of systems.

The mechanical filter in an RAS facility will remove large and firm feces. Producers should know, however, that providing a feed that is not suitable for this environment can result in the production of excess waste, reduced nutrient uptake and poor water quality.

Profitability relies on optimized FCR. Fish are sensitive to several external factors, including fluctuating water temperatures, water quality and oxygen levels — all of which can impact growth and performance.

Alltech Coppens is a leading developer and producer of fish feed. The Alltech Coppens team performs trials studying the digestibility of feed formulations to understand how raw materials interact with each other and affect certain characteristics. Once the ideal ingredient combination is determined and paired with Alltech’s nutritional solutions, we formulate and develop a diet specifically tailored to your unique species and farming environment.

To learn more about reducing costs on your farm, contact us at aquasolutions@alltech.com.

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After hearing rave reviews about Gerry Duffy’s presentation at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), I felt compelled to visit with him and learn more about what led him to his current role as stud manager at Godolphin’s Stonerside and Raceland Farms in Paris, Kentucky.

Cait:       Can you tell me a bit about your background with horses?

Gerry:    I first got into horses from a riding perspective. I grew up riding ponies and later got into showjumping and really gravitated toward the industry through my love of horses. In fact, my first job involved working in the stable yard at a stud farm near where I grew up. It had 10 mares, foals and yearlings, and it was there that I met a great guy by the name of David Cunningham, who taught me about pedigrees and would take me along to sales and tell me what to look for. Everyone needs someone to take an interest in them and make them feel they are a part of something special — it’s especially important for young people to feel a connection to their workplace, and I was fortunate enough to have that.

Cait:       You have an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Given your passion for horses, I’m curious: what led you to that particular course of study?

Gerry:    I love engines, machinery and tractors, so mechanical engineering was always very appealing to me. At the time, I was still of the belief that horses were a hobby, and I didn’t see it as a career option for me, especially when I mucked stables for £2.50 an hour as a kid! I was close to graduation when the owner of the farm I was working for mentioned the possibility of going to work at his farm in Kentucky. At the same time, a friend of mine had just been accepted into the Godolphin Flying Start Program, so I investigated and decided to apply. I had no expectation of being selected but was lucky enough to be chosen to participate, and it really opened my eyes to the possibilities of working in the industry.

Cait:       Can you explain more about the Flying Start Program?

Gerry:    It’s a two-year full scholarship program sponsored by the owner of Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai. It gives young people an amazing opportunity to start a career in the Thoroughbred industry and to travel the world. I worked at operations in Ireland, as well as the U.S., England, Australia and Dubai, spending three to six months in each location. In Ireland, the primary focus is on breaking yearlings and attending sales. In the U.S., you participate in the northern hemisphere breeding season and, in Australia, you participate in the southern hemisphere breeding season. You spend January through March in Dubai for racing at the World Cup Carnival. While in England, you spend a great deal of your time in Newmarket, during which time the Tattersalls breeding stock sales are going on.

Cait:       Circling back to your education and clear passion for the industry, I wondered if you ever considered studying something related to horses, animal science or husbandry instead?

Gerry:    No. At the time, equine programs were still in their infancy, so I couldn’t really see a career path there. My career has developed somewhat organically; I think it takes time to realize what you are truly passionate about.

Cait:       You have an MBA as well. How do you put this and your mechanical engineering degree to work in your current position?

Gerry:    What is engineering? People think of design, structures and mechanisms, but really, engineering is just problem-solving. Engineers take problems and break them down into smaller objectives. They then develop strategies to help achieve those objectives. Engineering has helped me to see life through that lens; I’m probably as much of a strategist and developer as I am anything else.

My MBA has helped advance my leadership training, and I have enjoyed developing a family/community environment in the workplace, where the responsibility is shared. It’s my job to explain what our objectives are and ensure that everyone is working with the same end goals in mind. I work with the mindset that I’m not there because I know everything and have all the great ideas — I’m there to help develop those ideas. Great things happen when nobody cares who gets the credit.

Cait:       What drew you to Godolphin specifically?

Gerry:    They were the best at what they did. It’s important to try and surround yourself with those who are the best in their trade and learn from them. It was also very important to me to work for someone who has a shared set of values, and I really believe in what Sheikh Mohammed does; he wants to better people’s lives and raise industry standards. We are always working toward a level of excellence and strive to do things for the right reasons, in the right way. Ultimately, we’re not trying to sell people anything but are simply trying to help them achieve their goals.

Cait:       How did participating in the Flying Start Program help you achieve success in your current role?

Gerry:    It was instrumental in giving me the tools, skills and opportunities to reach my full potential. The program has really evolved since I participated; it’s transformed from a management program into more of a leadership program. The course mimics the lifestyle of a high-functioning CEO, in my book — there are a lot of early mornings and late evenings and you must maintain a very demanding and busy schedule. It really prepares people well for not only getting into the industry but excelling in leadership roles within it.

We have had over 140 graduates from the program to date, and less than 10 percent go to work for Godolphin directly, though I know all the graduates and work closely with them on industry issues. It’s a completely benevolent initiative, not a recruitment tool. Sheikh Mohammed wants people to help sustain Thoroughbred breeding and racing. A lot of people say the Flying Start Program will be his greatest gift to the industry.

Cait:       Finding — and keeping — good help on the farm is becoming increasingly challenging. How do you combat this issue?

Gerry:    I try to take a long-term view of things, and I do my best to create a culture and workplace where people are given opportunities to learn and develop their skillset. We strive to maintain a happy work environment, where people are treated fairly and with respect and can feel that they contribute to our overall success.

Whether my staff continue working with Godolphin or end up working outside of our company in the future, I want to prepare them well, and I see this strategy working. We are fully staffed with excellent individuals and are presently turning down good people simply because we don’t have any vacancies.

Most people don’t quit a job over a dollar or two; they quit because they are unsatisfied. People tend to be motivated by upward progression. I encourage a lot of personal goal-setting and planning, focused on value-based goals rather than material-based ones. I ask people to reflect on what sort of person and influence they want to be. In my experience, if you can sort that out, success will follow.

Cait:       At Alltech, we are always interested in learning about industry innovations. Can you tell me about the technologies you use on the farm?

Gerry:    Yes. Something our IT team has recently developed is an internal stud app. It has really helped provide a lot of information for our farm managers whilst out in the field. It’s great to have detailed records at your fingertips that can help you make informed decisions when you’re out in the barns. The industry is slowly embracing technologies such as genotyping to help make better breeding decisions and placement of horses with trainers, etc.

Overall, though, the Thoroughbred industry is slow to embrace technology. It really comes down to finding a balance between applicable technologies that help us — as opposed to things that are novel and exciting but cost a lot of money and aren’t really that beneficial — either by making things more efficient or aiding in better decision-making. We’re evolving by looking into more natural, alternative methods of care for the horses; we utilize chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists and even a naturopath. With Thoroughbreds, I feel it’s very much about doing the small things right, with attention to detail — doing the simple things to a very high standard.

Cait:       As both a previous and current owner of an off-track Thoroughbred, I’m especially impressed with your aftercare program. Can you tell me a little more about it?

Gerry:    Yes. It’s called the Godolphin Lifetime Care Program, and there are multiple components to it. We are very supportive of retirement foundations globally, but we also have our own farm in England — where most of our horses reside — which is geared toward retraining and rehoming horses. Our staff works to match people up with a horse that will suit their needs, and we gift the animal to the adopter after a suitable match is determined. Outside of England, we have retirement horses in each country we work in, so we operate a small aftercare program in each. As for our retired broodmares, they get to live out their days with us for as long as they are comfortable, healthy and happy.

Cait:       What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?

Gerry:    Simply being around these animals. To me, horses are truly the most noble of all creatures. The relationships people can develop with them are incredible, and I’ve learned a great deal from them.

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Kentucky ag-tech potential abounds as Alltech hosts startup forum with city and state leaders

Discussion held as startup companies from around the world converge in Lexington

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The future of agriculture was on the minds of more than 3,000 attendees at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), which began this week in Lexington, Kentucky. As startup companies continue to introduce the next generation of solutions, what action will need to be taken to develop a thriving ag-tech ecosystem in this region? At a forum held today at the Lexington Convention Center, city and state leaders met to discuss the next steps and to speak with startup founders and leaders about what would attract entrepreneurs to put down roots in Kentucky.  

“Since the conversation began about making Kentucky the Silicon Valley of the east, it’s been amazing to see the response, on all levels,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Today, we are moving forward with a collaborative ‘call to arms’ led by Alltech, the city of Lexington and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development as we work to make this dream a reality.”

Part of Alltech’s responsibility, said Lyons, is to use its resources and experience through the The Pearse Lyons Accelerator to facilitate the conversation and help propel it forward. The panel assembled for today’s discussion included Linda Gorton, mayor of Lexington, Kentucky; Terry Gill, secretary of economic development for Kentucky; Ryan Quarles, agriculture commissioner of Kentucky; Patrick Walsh, founder and managing director of Dublin-based startup hub Dogpatch Labs; and alumni from The Pearse Lyons Accelerator: James Millar, CCO of Entocyle; Allison Kopf, CEO of Agriyst; Frank Wooten, CEO of Vence; and Kevin Baum, CEO of Agriwebb.

Moderator Robert Walker, European business development officer for Alltech, asked the panelists why the Bluegrass region is a prime location for startup innovation.

“We have ... a highly educated community, low cost of living, high quality of life, arts and a good school system,” said Mayor Gorton, who added that MetroNet is currently wiring Lexington to become the largest gigabit city in the country.

Commissioner Quarles noted that Kentucky’s agricultural opportunities go beyond traditional farming.   

“Kentucky is more than cows, ploughs and sows,” said Quarles, citing industrial hemp as an example of how quickly Kentucky farmers are willing to innovate. “We have 130 new hemp companies, half of which were incorporated in the last six months, and we’re on a trajectory to have $100 million in Kentucky-derived hemp sales in 2019.”

The panelists currently working within the ag-tech startup space advised others on the panel and within the audience that, to attract the talent necessary to build a strong ag-tech community in Kentucky, they should market the strengths of the region, prepare to invest quickly and create effective partnerships.

“Dr. Lyons and Alltech are a perfect example of the private sector stepping into this and understanding how to partner with the state,” said Secretary Gill. “Ultimately there is a role for government to play, and in many cases it’s early on in terms of the formation of these accelerators.”

Seven leading ag-tech startups were in Lexington this week to pitch on the mainstage of ONE19. They represented the third cohort of The Pearse Lyons Accelerator, which saw more than 250 applicants from around the world for the late stage startup accelerator held in partnership with Dogpatch Labs in Ireland.

The agricultural sector in Portugal was, until recently, still highly traditional, with few technological advances implemented. This has changed over the last few years, however, with the adoption of and investment in new technologies across a variety of areas, including irrigation, soil mobilization, pest and disease control and fertilization.

One of the most significant changes dealt with the types of crops being grown by these Portuguese farmers, who began to look beyond Portugal and focus on cultivating products that could be more competitive on a European scale, including fruits and vegetables. Their farming practices have also been progressively updated to make sure that they fit in with European regulations. A greater emphasis has been placed on sustainable practices with decreased residues to ensure that the crops are marketable in areas beyond Portugal.

These updated farming practices have led to an increase in productivity and competitiveness, as well as a more efficient use of resources. Over the past 20 years, 3.2 million acres — almost a third of the agricultural area under cultivation in Portugal — had been neglected, but now, there is a greater productivity of the cultivated area and a new entrepreneurial spirit driven by a new generation of farmers.   

A generation of farmers that was raised on a family farm is also becoming more prevalent, and with this influx of fresh eyes also comes the implementation of crop diversification. A farm where, previously, only corn was cultivated, for instance, may now also grow tomatoes, sunflowers, carrots and other crops.    

Rejuvenating the agricultural fabric of Portugal was imperative, since more than half of farmers in the country are older than 65. With the embrace of new technologies to meet market demands, Portuguese agriculture today is more innovative, professional, productive and customer-oriented. 

In 2015, Portugal ranked 41^st for exports in the global agri-food industry. The main products the country exported included olive oils, tomatoes and wines. Portugal’s agricultural exports go to 153 countries, with Spain, Brazil, France, Italy and Angola as its biggest external markets. Fresh fruit accounted for 40 percent of the value of those exports, with special emphasis on small fruits, oranges and Rocha pears, which were the best performers in 2016. 

However, the country is also heavily dependent on cereals and oilseeds, whose import volume accounted for 42.4 percent of the total agricultural imports during 2006–2010. While Portugal is not yet seen as competitive in dryland cereal farming, the national production of irrigated grain — particularly maize — has been on the rise.

The sector must continue to strengthen its exports and its presence in foreign markets, affirming the quality that sets its produce apart. Portuguese agricultural products are attractive to countries and customers looking for products from southern Europe, thanks to the mild and differentiated climate that the Atlantic Ocean provides. Portugal has a reputation for food safety and is recognized as a region whose products feature appealing colors, flavors and aromas.   

To learn more about international agronomic practices and how you can implement updated technology in your operation, visit www.alltech.com/cropscience and sign up for our Top Crop newsletter today. 

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The following is an edited transcript of Nicole Erwin's interview with Patrick Walsh, founder of Dogpatch Labs. Click below to hear the full interview:

Nicole:           From working with the top new ag-tech startups from around the world to creating internal startups to rapidly advance new ideas, Alltech has sought new ways to innovate that speaks to its entrepreneurial roots. I'm talking with Patrick Walsh, founder and managing director of Dogpatch Labs, a leading startup hub in Dublin, Ireland. Patrick, thanks for joining us.

Patrick:           It's great to be here.

Nicole:           Before we get too far along, can you describe the development of Dogpatch Labs?

Patrick:           Sure. I sort of came from a startup background and I would see these great hubs in places like Silicon Valley. It struck me that we didn't have a big central- connecting physical space in Dublin. I thought that was a good problem to go about solving. I started walking around warehouses in Dublin and thinking what the right space would be. Eventually, we found this beautiful historic building right in the center of Dublin Docklands.

                        We started small; I think we just had 30 people sitting at desks in our first month. But over the last four years, that has evolved rapidly. Now, we’ve tripled in size. We have now 450 people on three floors. But it's not just us in chairs now — we do events and programs and incubators and accelerators. It's really expanded out from there.

Nicole:           Does “Dogpatch” mean something?

Patrick:           Well, it's a long story. It's an area in San Francisco where the idea was originally conceived. I guess the spirit — the entrepreneurial spirit of that area — was something that captured our imagination.

Nicole:           Dogpatch Labs is working to deliver The Pearse Lyons Accelerator. Can you share how you and [Alltech founder] Dr. [Pearse] Lyons decided to create this incredible opportunity here?

Patrick:           Dr. Lyons was such an incredible entrepreneur; he was one of the great Irish entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs globally. For someone such as myself that runs an entrepreneurial hub, it was incredible opportunity to potentially work with Alltech when the opportunity first presented itself. I think he was an individual that was always interested in the next way of innovation for the industry. What you've seen over recent years is ag-tech is really starting to take shape. Agriculture is the least digitized sector in the world.

Nicole:           Really?

Patrick:           It's an incredible statistic. Last year, ag-tech was the second-fastest-growing sub-sector in all of technology; the venture capital dollars are just flowing in. Increasingly, farmers are starting to adopt technology. I think this is something they — Dr. Lyons, along with [chief innovation officer at Alltech] Aidan Connolly — were starting to see and made the decision that they wanted to really be at the forefront of that, to get some insight into that, and to start to partner and work with some of the most interesting startups from around the world. That was where the idea for the accelerator originated.

Nicole:           How do Dogpatch Labs and The Pearse Lyons Accelerator create realities for those who want to take advantage of the opportunity that an accelerator can provide?

Patrick:           Agriculture is a tough industry to break into if you're a small startup company. You’ve got to partner with big companies or find farms. It can be a highly fragmented industry to access. Finding a route to market is a huge challenge. I think that's one of the central reasons why we decided to position this accelerator as a business development-focused accelerator — especially for slightly later-stage companies that had proven something, maybe, in their home market and that were looking to scale internationally.

                        One of the things is that Alltech is a very international company now — it has quite a decent presence in, I think, well over 150 countries across the world. There are many different accelerators out there for ag-tech entrepreneurs to choose from. Some of them are great if you just have an idea and you're trying to get to the first version of your product. This one is for a later-stage company who's really interested in scaling up.

                        I think that's where we position the accelerator; that's where the value has been extracted from the companies that went through the first year. We saw some incredible results from that. Collectively, I think we saw startups get $50 million in qualified new sales leads across 28 new markets in that first year. That really speaks to the value that some of these companies got out of it.

Nicole:           I lived in Australia for a few years, and Americans were often perceived as a bit of aggressive, very forward and to-the-point, where many of us would point out individual strengths. They would kind of view it as this “tall poppy syndrome,” which meant that you would be cut down. How do entrepreneurial personalities differ in Ireland, in the U.S. and other groups that come to you?

Patrick:           Well, someone said earlier today, “When you've met one entrepreneur, you've met just one entrepreneur, because every entrepreneur is different, and those personalities take very different forms.” The thing is, through this accelerator now, we've worked with entrepreneurs from, I think, over ten different countries — which is obviously a huge ag-tech hub — to China to Canada to Ireland and London. It's interesting, because people do have very different personality types.

                        But, at the same time, I think what we found in the groups of entrepreneurs is a lot of common ground. I think it's been great to see how those different personalities have come together to support each other and to help each other understand — how does someone from China sell to Americans, for example? I think that's one of the big value-adds of having a global accelerator with a global group of people: they help each other understand those different cultural norms as they sell into very different industry types across the world.

Nicole:           What were some of the challenges of building a startup ecosystem? What elements need to be in place? Does it take a visionary to lead it? What else?

Patrick:           I think there are several different elements that need to come together. I think one of the key things that we've started to understand in Ireland is you really need to have a coordinated and connected effort; you can't just have a lot of different elements operating by themselves if you really want to create a synergistic ecosystem. We were talking about this earlier today with some of the folks from Kentucky [who are interested in creating a startup environment].

                        What I said was that what I would much rather see Kentucky do is, rather than a hundred small things, do three initiatives that are real lightning rods to kick-start an ecosystem. One initiative is a conference that pulls together the industry and pulls together investors in ag-tech companies. Obviously, you've seen examples of that in Ireland with the Web Summit, which has moved beyond Ireland and now has European cities bidding to come to it. But you have a great conference here in ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference that could be built and evolved upon. It's already a coming-together of industry.

                        I think you also need to have a global accelerator. I think we’ve started that and we continue to evolve it and, maybe, bringing other people in. I think another important part of an ecosystem — and why I was very passionate about starting Dogpatch — is I think you need a physical hub as well. A lot of the time, you just need that mental anchor point — that epicenter of an ecosystem — so that, if people get off a plane and think, "Well, where would I start?" or they get out of college and they say, "Well, where would I go?” you have this physical space, as well. Those can be real catalysts.

                        Then, you need all the other elements to come in to play as well: strong connections at the universities — and investors need sort of a coordinated story to think about if they're going to come to an ecosystem. You're talking about a lot of different elements coming together. Certainly, what we do in Ireland is we sit around the table with various members of the ecosystem, whether they are the big multinationals like Google — who's a big partner of us and who really supports the ecosystem — but also with government as well.

Nicole:           The Pearse Lyons Incubator was also launched to focus on entrepreneurship with the hope to enable Alltech staff to rapidly advanced new ideas. How is this different than, say, going up to your boss and just pitching an idea?

Patrick:           Well, that's a good question. I think this was something that Dr. Lyons was very passionate about. He said he was delighted to be supporting entrepreneurs all around the world, and that was an important part of external innovation for Alltech and bringing about innovation with our partners as well. But he also wanted to give his staff the opportunity to adopt a startup mindset — to have the opportunity to play by different rules, have some training and mentorship around advancing an idea forward in the same way that we've been doing in the accelerator. That's something that I think the people at Alltech have responded well to.

                        To answer your question specifically, the difference is that, often, when you pitch your boss, first of all, you might not be sure about how to best craft that proposition to create something that is an investor-ready deck. Also, your boss might not be empowered to fund that development or to enable you to go ahead and work on it. What you end up needing is some sort of a defined entrepreneurial function within a large organization — especially as it gets bigger and bigger. I think this is something that Dr. Lyons was talking about a lot in the last few years.

                        I know [Alltech president and CEO] Mark Lyons is very passionate about it. If you're a small company, you're entrepreneurial by your very nature. You don't need to do anything, and things just start to happen. But, as you start to get bigger, like Alltech has done in the last few years, you need a bit more of a purposeful effort — a defined function to advance new ideas. I think that was a lot of the thinking behind the incubator. We wanted to empower our staff so they can advance new ideas, because they're the people that are talking to our customers. We want to do it in a different way and we want to have a defined way of doing it.

Nicole:           Can you tell me about some of the successful presentations that have been pitched?

Patrick:           Well, I don't like to have favorites, because we work so closely with them all. I think what you saw this year is a great range, from beef to dairy to human nutrition to insect proteins, et cetera. I think the whole area of CRISPR is particularly interesting. I'm very struck by it. I think that is an area that will continue to have a massive impact. I think we're just at the start of that. The FDA has just said that they're not going to regulate gene-edited crops. It'll move to animals next.

                        You saw an example of the potential of that to save the industry, not only to save a lot of money, but also to have a massive sustainable impact. With the eggXYt presentation — the Israeli company — and then, for CRISPR, after animals, there are human implications. I'm just fascinated personally on that particular technology and how that's going to play out and disrupt the agriculture industry over the next few years.

Nicole:           Dr. Lyons recently passed away, but he was incredibly progressive and constantly pushing limits. Do you feel like these accelerator projects embody the spirit of Dr. Lyons in some way?

Patrick:           I think that's something that Mark said. The accelerator bears his name. I think it really was something that he was quite passionate about. There are so many stories of Dr. Lyons helping other people in a charitable way — helping other people in terms of supporting them as entrepreneurs all throughout the years. It’s great that we had the opportunity to start this when he was here. He was such an incredible inspiration to so many different people, and he is an incredible inspiration for the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s great that we've managed to do these programs. I do think it embodies his entrepreneurial spirit.

Nicole:           Patrick Walsh is the founder and managing director of Dogpatch Labs, Ireland's leading startup hub. Thank you so much.

Patrick:           Thanks.

Do you have the next big idea in ag-tech? The Pearse Lyons Accelerator is taking applications for the next cohort of innovators.

Learn more here.

Since man hunted and got a taste for the meat of the Auroch, later domesticated into the ancestors of modern cattle breeds, the market for beef has grown steadily. The last 10 years, however, have not been so kind, with plummeting beef consumption and higher prices. There is some light, as meat intense diets like paleo and keto have turned some consumers back to beef, but just at the moment when the cattle industry has become more consolidated, sophisticated and consumer-focused, it is ironically facing some of the greatest existential threats to its 10,000-year existence.

There are three new primary threats to the beef industry:

1. Lab-grown meat

Touted as sustainable and welfare-friendly or, conversely, dismissed as “fake meat,” the clear intent of growing meat in petri dishes is to displace the consumption of meat from beef cattle. Despite concerns about just how “friendly” the technology really is, meat producers — such as Cargill and Tyson — have invested in startups in this market.

2. Environmentalism

Environmentalists advocating for ““Meatless Mondays’ and other initiatives at the consumer level have been unremitting in their attacks on the meat industry. These action groups have sometimes used dubious data to support their contention that cattle — specifically, beef — use more water and more resources and emit more greenhouse gases than other protein options. Their relentless attack appears to be having an effect on red meat consumption in the U.S. and Europe.

3. Other meats

Chicken consumption continues to grow at 2 percent per year. Not only is it cheaply priced, neutral in flavor, easy to cook and unrestricted by religious constraints, it is also predicted to become the world’s favorite meat, taking the place of pork at number one. At the same time, fish has been positioned at the premium end of the market, touting human health benefits such as DHA and Omega-3. Both meats are stealing market share from beef.

The resulting trend from this triple threat is clear: beef consumption has stagnated for the last ten years and, despite projections for growth in markets like China, new ways of thinking will be required.

So how to respond?

Can we manage the individual animal to maximize performance? Cattle are still one of the most efficient means of converting grasses and fiber into food. Can we learn to preserve natural resources and invest in sustainable decisions that boost soil health? How can technology help us better manage pastures and forage production better?

What about the consumer? Can we improve the product — and, thereby, improve the experience — to create more consistent flavors, cooking and dining while also meeting their questions about welfare and the environment?

More than most other protein-producing industries, beef production needs an injection of new ideas and technologies. Smart precision farming requires digital technologies to develop better management practices, accuracy and methods. Using an eight-technology framework can help us understand the opportunities for improvement that the industry must embrace in order to rise to this triple threat.

1. Sensors

Through the use of sensors, cattle producers are capable of tracking virtually anything within their herd. They are expected to monitor an animal’s health and comfort, which can prove costly and time-consuming if done manually. With the implementation of wearable sensors, such as collar, ear or leg tags, ranchers are able to detect diseases and monitor everything more efficiently, from rumination to general animal health.

For example, several companies offer calving sensors that notify the farmer when a cow is expected to give birth. Moocall’s calving sensor does this by monitoring tail movement patterns triggered by labor contractions. When the tail movement patterns reach a certain level of intensity, the Moocall sensor sends a text message to the farmer’s cell phone. JMB North America offers a sensor that alerts farmers when a cow’s water breaks. Other calving sensor options include the AfiAct 11 Leg Tag, Cow Call, and Vel’Phone. This technology can greatly improve calf survivability and allows farmers to be more effective in their time and energy efficiency.

The University of Calgary is testing how accelerometers can be used to detect diseases within a beef cattle herd. The accelerometers are attached to the identification tags in the cow’s ears, because the movement in this area can show how much time is being spent eating, chewing cud, moving and resting. CowManager, a temperature sensor, also records movement related to eating, ruminating, walking and estrus activity. Similar sensors include TekVet, FeverTag Quantified Ag Allflex, and Precision Animal Solutions. These clips can measure changes in body temperature to help detect illness, reducing the chances of further infection to other cattle and significantly lowering costs while simultaneously increasing animal welfare.

Craig Carter, the director of the University of Kentucky’s Veterinarian Diagnostic Lab, has performed research on an algorithm that can differentiate healthy from sick cattle and will generate alerts when specific animals need to be treated. Micro Technologies AmerisourceBergen has partnered with the Geissler Corporation to market, install and service the Whisper* Digital Stethoscope, the first tool developed to score severity of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle.

Vital Herd’s e-pill sensor is ingested by the cow and sits in the rumen, where it collects data on body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, pH levels and other parameters. Another rumen bolus sensor, Moow, can measure CO2 and NH3 concentration, temperature levels and pH balances for up to three years, and all data is sent to local or cloud storage. Other rumen acidosis sensors include eBolus and VetAsyst.

Heat detection in beef breeding can be crucial, and sensors like Heatime HR LD, Heatime Pro, Qwes HR-LD, RumiWatch, SenseTime Beef, and Cow Scout help to accurately identify the best insemination time. Each of these also watches changes in rumination patterns to try and catch potential health problems.

Locating specific animals has been made easy with CowView and Smartbow. These neck and ear sensors localize every cow in real time to easily find which ones need to be checked, inseminated, treated or moved.

The GrowSafe platform uses biometric sensors and data sources to continuously track and monitor sick and poorly performing animals. It also can measure an individual animal’s gain and current market value, which helps maximize profits.

Vence, a virtual fence system, can eliminate the cost of traditional fencing and make it simple to rotate cattle and keep them within specific boundaries through the use of a neck collar. Animals learn to avoid certain areas by receiving low voltage shocks or uncomfortable sounds.

ClicRTechnologies has also made strides in the beef industry by creating the ClicRweight system, which replaces the traditional gravity weighing system. This new scanning station system is placed where the animal would normally eat and can gather statistics quickly and accurately on each animal as it steps on to the scale without any human intervention, thereby reducing costs and allowing for better analysis.

On the consumer side, food safety is of growing concern. When the quality and freshness of hamburger meat is in question, it is often tossed out, simply because people don’t want to take the risk. Safe Food Scientific has developed a biometric sensor that allows consumers to know if the beef in their fridges is safe to eat. Different forms of bacteria in beef reproduce in different conditions; access to nutrients, water and temperature can all affect how and the rate at which bacteria grow. Beef-Fresh Check tabs use biosensors to detect bacterial contaminants and help consumers determine if meat is safe to eat.

2. Drones

These small aircraft are finding more uses in the cattle industry by allowing producers to easily manage feedlots and ranches. Farmers are using drones to check fence lines, spot holes or pockets that might need to be fixed and check water troughs and gates in remote locations through aerial images and video. Some models can run on their own after being flown through the route just one time, like the DJI Mavic Air, DJI Mavic Pro, and Phantom 4 Pro. After manually showing the drone where to fly, it will subsequently follow the same path for routine checks without extra assistance.

When measuring pastures, the traditional strategies include use plate meters, pasture probes and tow-behind devices, but cameras on drones are becoming capable of performing the same task. Ranchers can also estimate the amounts of feed on-farm, particularly where there are areas of different growth.

The wireless camera can assist with precision livestock by notifying a beef producer that a cow has calved or when locating a lost animal. Thermal cameras like the DJI Zenmuse XT can distinguish cows from other heat sources and spot animals underneath canopies or trees. Other popular drones used for scouting cattle include the Honeycomb Agdrone, DJI Matrice 100, DJI T600 Inspire 1, DJI Phantom 3 Advanced, eBee SQ drone and the Lancaster Hawkeye Mark 111.

Looking ahead, drones may eventually become advanced enough to be able to spray pest deterrents directly onto herds, instead of farmers needing to manually spray by hand. From a teaching perspective, drones can be used to instruct veterinary students and ranchers how to move livestock using low-stress handling techniques.

3. Robots

On a beef operation, robots can perform small, common tasks, such as daily feeding. Hanson Silo Company has partnered with Trioliet to manufacture just such a robotic feeding system. This self-automated robot will fill itself with feed and mix and deliver the food to animals in the barn. As long as the feed bins are kept full, the robot can run on its own and feed about 700 head of cattle up to 12 times a day. Additional feeding times are even better for the animal, since it ruminates better when eating more frequently. Other companies that produce automated feeding robots include Rovibec, KUHN System TKS, TKS Agri, Lucas G, Jeantil, Valmetal, Wasserbauer, Pellon, WIC System and Hetwin.

The Swagbot is a robot that can move groups of cattle, tow heavy trailers and navigate around ditches, waterways and other rugged terrain. The University of Australia is trying to teach this robot to identify sick or ill animals by fitting it with temperature and motion sensors.

One of the largest meat-packing plants in the world, JBS, has invested in Scott Technology, a New Zealand-based robotics firm. The meatpacking company is looking at ways to possibly incorporate automated machines as they attempt to turn a whole cow into certain cuts, like steaks and roasts. Even though these robots can use visual technology to cut into a carcass, a beef carcass requires the robot to feel instead of seeing — that is, it must be able to feel how deep a bone is to remove certain cuts of meat. This type of skilled cutting hasn’t been mastered by a robot yet, but investments are being made to meet this goal.

4. 3D Printing

A new world of food processing is becoming a reality with 3D printing, and a lot of research is being done by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). This technology allows for the opportunity to use low-value meat cuts to create new types of food. According to MLA, at least one-third of each carcass ends up as hamburger trimmings for fast food chains. This new technology would give typically lower valued meats, such as offal, a new avenue for consumption, thereby creating a new opportunity to increase value for each carcass. This could potentially put more money in the pockets of farmers and ranchers.

Where else are 3D printers making their way into consumer lives? Nursing homes! Because printed beef is easy to chew and swallow, Germany has incorporated 3D printers in 1,000 nursing homes and is considered more appetizing than the pureed food that was previously served.

5. Blockchain

Now, more than ever, consumers are demanding complete transparency when it comes to purchasing meat products. Lack of knowledge about origin and concern over foodborne illness has left 75 percent of consumers distrustful of food labels, according to a study by Label Insights. Blockchain could be used to restore consumer confidence through its ability to trace products along the entire supply chain, from the producer to feedlot, feedlot to processor, processor to wholesaler and wholesaler to retailer.

Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative were the first suppliers in the U.S. to use this technology. Their products now contain a QR code that can be scanned to see a “digital history” of where the beef came from and how the animals were raised. This information includes stories from the farmer and butcher who contributed to the final product now in stores. In China, InterAgri uses blockchain to allow consumers to trace the cow’s breed, when it was slaughtered and what bacteria testing it went through.

Wyoming beef producers have combined efforts to create BeefChain, which allows consumers to have pasture-to-table traceability. Each animal receives an RFID tag that is linked via blockchain, and the assigned number follows the animal throughout the production process. Consumers can help shape this service online by submitting areas of interest or specific questions they have about the process. The organization promises to send information and to adapt its service to meet future interest.

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Livestock producers are now faced with the challenge of growing animals to conditions that match market and consumer specifications and timing. Even ranchers who have been working with cattle for generations can struggle to predict an animal’s yield potential prior to sale. However, AI technologies can be used to accurately predict an individual animal’s potential, as well as fat content, at any point in time by using cameras to analyze the herd.

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have developed this technology by using off-the-shelf cameras on purebred Angus cattle farms. These cameras operate at 30 frames per second and can capture contours that reflect fat and muscle depth and size. That information is then converted to 3D images that are processed through artificial intelligence algorithms to provide an accurate condition score for each animal. Different shapes, such as muscling, are given a mathematical description and assigned a value, which can then be used to estimate a cow’s condition based on the 3D shape the machine “sees.” This type of technology allows farmers to see, at any given point, where each individual animal is in terms of maturity and can select animals with superior measured traits for breeding the next generation. When a rancher can make decisions based on high-quality, real-time information in low-stress environments, they will see better quality beef product — and results that match consumer preferences.

Cainthus has developed algorithms for facial recognition of dairy cows to monitor the cow’s activity. This technology is also being developed for beef cattle, to replace of tracking devices, and this software may eliminate the need for wearables altogether, particularly for animals raised indoors. Using cameras stationed throughout the feedlot, the software alerts farmers when their cows show early signs of lameness. Cainthus’ goal is to have “machine vision,” allowing AI to supplant many sensor systems.

Not only are ranchers trying to meet market specifications, they are also are constantly trying to manage their large herds effectively. Cattle Watch has developed a remote monitoring system by using AI, deep learning and mass data algorithms to monitor large cattle herds on a wide spectrum. This system can prevent animal theft through GPS satellite tracking and can use geofencing to stop animals from straying outside of the designated lot. It also has an automated animal-counting technology that can count large herds of cattle in a short amount of time and can also monitor the health of each individual cow.

7. Augmented Reality (AR)

The cattle industry is now attempting to mix the real world with the virtual world by using only a pair of glasses or a cell phone. AR displays a virtual image on top of what can be see naturally through the viewer (i.e. reality) in real time, allowing new insights to come to light. Farm VR has created a farming technology that projects images of 3D objects from architectural drawings. If ranchers are interested in buying cattle lots, they can use VR to project renderings of their future lot on top of the lot as it currently looks, allowing them to see what their new lot would look like before actually building it.

University classrooms are even using projected images to teach bovine anatomy. For instance, Harper Adams allows users to take a full look at an intact cow — including its skeleton, blood flow and the udder, in detail — by looking through the Bovine HoloLens. Students are then able to perform dissections of the udder, since they now know what to expect and can similarly walk their classmates through the process to help them learn the same procedure.

8. Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual reality is fairly similar to augmented reality because it also is a 3D, computer-generated environment. When using a VR headset, these environments move as you move, and the images appear life-size to each individual. Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association is using virtual reality technology to demonstrate life on a farm to the public. People don’t have to physically be on the farm to hear and see from a producer how they take care of their animals and what the animals’ life cycles are, giving producers a new way to engage and educate their consumers. Not only does this address common misconceptions, it also allows consumers to directly relate to the farmer. LiveCorp also offers a similar opportunity for consumers to experience the transportation side of an animal’s life, as their technology takes the user visually from a quarantine facility to a loading vessel. These efforts have all been made with the intent of improving consumers’ understanding of how the production process works.

Pre-sale auction inspection is also set to enter the virtual reality realm, with Elders preparing to become one of the first livestock agencies to offer 360-degree selling to customers. (Check out the video.) Partnering with Tim Gentle has allowed Elders to record 360-degree picture and video experiences so that potential buyers can view animals at all possible angles. Viewers can move the environment in any direction desired when looking through the VR headset. Buyers can project auctions from any desktop or phone through the headset and view auctions in their own living room.

The Internet of Things (IOT)

All eight of these technologies have the capability to work together through the Internet of Things (IOT) — or “internet of cows,” as it has been called in this case. It is IOT that connects sensors, drones, robots and the like to computers and iPhones for data analysis and interpretation. Sensors — such as MOOnitor, a cattle monitoring system that measures and collects daily activity as well as estrus cycles — uses IOT to transfer data and keep real-time information at the fingertips of the farmer or rancher. Because the health of a beef cow directly affects the number of weaned calves each season, a technology such as this, with the ability to detect both sickness and estrus in cows, can improve calf yields, an important metric for beef producers. MOOnitor suggests that it can potentially increase a herd’s calving rate by 30 percent.

A similar IOT system, BovControl, uses a cow’s information — including its birth date, medication, vaccinations and weight — to determine when it is ready to be sold. Farmers can also track an animal’s temperature or location through an ear tag or smart collar.

AgriWebb is an app that can be used on your phone or tablet to track and keep up with all farm records, whether you are walking around your farm or are further from home. At any given time, a farmer has access to feed inventory, financial reports, grazing movements, task management options, individual animal data and biosecurity plans, allowing for better compliance with external certification and monitoring organizations.

KEENAN InTouch provides the farmer with constant herd performance advice and information by way of data collection and analysis. Through this system, a team of nutritionists is available to assist farmers with herd health management, ration formulation, weight gains/yield and costs, with the goal of helping improve cash flow. This technology allows producers to monitor and control all feed usage and waste, which helps control costs and feed budgets and can speed up finishing times for cattle.

The nutrigenomics piece

The last piece of the puzzle is nutrigenomics, the study of nutrition in the genome. It has been determined that, just like for humans, what a cow eats directly affects its microbiome and, therefore, its growth and productivity. Previously, it was believed that cattle should be fed minerals and supplements freely. But, at Alltech, we have seen that supplementing animals with specific levels of nutrients at specific times encourages the body to use those nutrients more efficiently. Those nutrients should come in the form of organic trace minerals and not just any mineral or supplement combination. A targeted nutritional approach such as EPNIX® should be implemented to truly get the most out of production cattle. 

The cost/benefit conundrum

These technologies can allow producers to maximize their management practices, increase productivity and efficiency and remain competitive. Interestingly, these benefits will also act as answers to prosumer concerns about such issues as animal welfare, environmental footprint and consistency of the final product.

Can beef farming become “smart”? By measuring feed and water intake in real time and comparing it with the productivity of the animal, we can gain new insights. We can only manage what we can measure, and as such, beef producers should embrace technology to take advantage of genomic advances and use data to access the potential that is unlocked with a better understanding of the animal genome. Big data says a lot, but individual data tells a whole other story.

Producers evaluating these eight technologies may struggle to identify which ones to use and how to invest for greatest return. Clearly, the prices for all of these vary, as will the benefits based on the particulars of a beef operation.

Generally, in beef, sensors are the most likely to offer clear and immediate cost benefits. Machine vision is the most exciting technology and promises a lot. Blockchain might eventually do this as well, but the technology is still being rolled out; augmented and virtual reality aren’t there yet either. The cost-benefits that producers need to evaluate are the fixed cost investment (what equipment is required) and, then, the variable cost (what ongoing costs are required to run the system). I always recommend that producers or farmers evaluate technology by scrutinizing one feature or benefit of particular value to their production and, subsequently, making their purchasing decision based on that one criteria. Traditionally, we look for a 3:1 return, but the transformative nature of these technologies might allow purchasing even at lower initial returns.

On a final note, if you ask ag-tech companies what question they fear most, they’ll tell you it is, “Please give me the name and phone number of a successful customer using your technology.” Tremendous technology is emerging within the beef industry, but some tech is further along the “tried-and-tested” path than others.

I want to learn more about technology for my beef cattle. 

In the horse world, we often hear people refer to their “horse of a lifetime.” As the story goes, every horse person will own one at some point in their life, if they’re lucky enough. Some will be beloved trail companions or elite show champions, while others may have a successful winning edge on the racetrack. But all good things must come to an end, right? Not necessarily.

Cloning, the controversial practice that first came to our attention with the birth of Dolly, a female domestic sheep, in July of 1996, is making it possible to have a genetic replica of your favorite four-legged friend — be it a horse, dog or a whole host of other species. But it’ll cost you, and success isn’t necessarily ensured. Still, if you find yourself curious about the process, here are five things you should know:

1. Break open your piggy bank:

Producing a genetic twin of a horse can cost more than $150,000. That may sound like a lot of money to some, but horses are big business for others, and the opportunity to protect and multiply the genetics of superior animals makes cloning a valuable option for many owners and breeders.

2. The same, but also different:

While the DNA of the cloned horse will exactly match that of the donor, the genetics could be expressed differently than they were in the original animal. We often discuss gene expression as it applies to nutrigenomics research at Alltech. Despite all cells containing a complete genetic code, only a fraction of these genes are expressed — or “switched on” — depending on cell type, availability of nutrients, bioactive compounds and other stimuli.

3. No guarantees:

Just like two famous Michaels — Jordan and Phelps — weren’t born knowing how to dribble a basketball or swim, horses are also products of their environment. Sure, natural talent and ability are helpful, but nutrition, management, handling and training also play a vital role. Just because the original horse was a champion doesn’t mean the cloned horse will be, too.

4. Just because you can…:

Should you? Controversy still surrounds this process. Many don’t feel it’s right to mess with Mother Nature and risk future problems with genetic mutations or bottlenecks that may occur as a result of breeding a specific line. And some breed organizations, including the Jockey Club and the American Quarter Horse Association, oppose the process and will not accept cloned horses or their progeny into their registries.

5. The bigger picture:

Cloning has a wider value in animal reproduction, especially in the preservation of threatened species. Dr. Katrin Hinrichs, professor and Patsy Link Chair of mare reproductive studies at Texas A&M University, offers some insight: “The main justification I see for cloning is to preserve genetics, as in valuable geldings or in the case of rare or endangered species or breeds, so that you can expand the gene pool. You could use cells from animals that died decades ago (if the cells were recovered before or at death and frozen) that are under-represented in the population today.”¹

Still not convinced you’d want to take the leap and recreate your furry friend, even if money was no object? Neither am I. Nevertheless, whether you agree with the practice of cloning or find it entirely objectionable, I hope you’ve learned as much as I have from this brief glance.

¹ Evans, M. (2016). An inside look at equine cloning. Retrieved from https://www.horsejournals.com/horse-care/alternative-therapies/inside-look-equine-cloning.

I would like to keep up with advances in equine technology.