MILKING SYSTEMS ▶▶▶
Reaping the rewards of robotic milking
BY RENÉ GROENEVELD H
owever, farmers will need the right tools and re- sources to make their robotic system successful, says Dr Nicolas Lyons, project leader of the Milking Edge project. “There is a set of conditions that will
help an AMS to perform better,” says Dr Lyons. “And there are a number of things that need to align in order to achieve the optimal performance.” The Milking Edge project – initiated by Dairy Australia, the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and DeLaval – is monitoring commercial AMS farms across Australia to collect data and provide farmers with a de- tailed picture of the performance of these systems. “There has been a lot of investment in robotic milking sys- tems from commercial farmers in recent years,” says Dr Lyons. “In 2018 the industry felt it was time to invest in a training and extension project that would bring together all the findings and experience of our research and of farmers.”
Success of automatic milking systems The project is currently in its third and last year. The aim of the Milking Edge project is to create tools and resources that will help producers to consider, invest in and operate AMS more successfully. The project offers farmers a chance to increase their industry knowledge on AMS through formal training. It supports stronger industry engagement through activities such as dis- cussion groups, conferences and field days. There is a dedicat- ed communication presence about the project, including so- cial media, web, newsletter and media articles. The project also created a modern online community of practice to collaborate and communicate on all things robotic milking.
Cost and availability of labour “The project will help farmers understand what the technolo- gy of AMS is and consider if it could be useful for them,” Dr Lyons explains. “Farmers can learn what it means to operate the technology and how to improve the way they operate. We are building things like online information modules and training packages. All areas of farm management are avail able for farmers and service providers to look at.” The training modules can be used by farmers interested in
▶DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 7, No. 5, 2020 7
Although there is a wide range in performance between farms, the average dairy farm in Australia has the potential to increase its number of cows by up to 60% by using an automatic milking system (AMS).
AMS, or those that have already decided to invest in the tech- nology. They are all free and available online. The modules on AMS Generalities, Reproductive performance in AMS and In- centive management in AMS have already been accessed by about 100 people since their launch. The project has been spending a lot of time engaging with producers. “Last year we held several field days and confer- ences,” Dr Lyons points out. “Obviously we have had a strong- er online presence this year because of Covid-19, such as webinars and discussions with farmers online.” The NSW DPI has been interested in increasing the adoption of AMS in Australia for a while. The department expects it might be able to address the issues of cost and availability of labour as well as offer opportunities to increase productivity and profit.
Farm, cow and robot performance In 2015, the department started a project with key perfor- mance indicators (KPIs) to create a benchmark. A total of
Dr Nicolas Lyons, project leader of the Milking Edge project: “In the end, robotic milking is the same as any other technology.”
PHOTO: MILKING EDGE
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