SUCCESSFUL PROJECT APPLICATIONS 2024

These were the successful project applications in 2024 that received grant funding from the Digital Dairy Chain project.

PROJECT ONE

Project 1

Project title: Improved productivity and animal welfare through early diagnosis of Bovine Respiratory Disease in dairy calves

Collaborative partners: Albasense, Wideblue Ltd, Paragon Vet Ltd, McCaskie Ltd

Project summary: This project introduces a fast-response capnometer for early-stage BRD diagnosis, leveraging successful human respiratory diagnostics. It combines Albasense’s gas sensor technology, Wideblue’s system integration, Paragon’s veterinary expertise, and McCaskie’s industry knowledge to enhance productivity and support the UK dairy industry amid labour shortages and rising costs.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), causing pneumonia from viral and bacterial pathogens, is the most common disease in the global cattle industry and leads to significant economic losses. In the UK, calf pneumonia affects over a million animals and costs the dairy industry £60-80 million annually. BRD can affect up to 50% of cattle, with fatalities reaching 10%, but half of cases often go undetected, leading to reduced productivity and costing up to £1,000 per infected animal. Current detection methods rely on clinical signs observed by farmers, which are often subtle or indicative of other diseases. Early diagnosis allows timely intervention, reducing antibiotic use, improving animal welfare, and boosting milk yields by up to 8%.

PROJECT TWO

Project title: Digital Manure Management

Collaborative partners: Culquha Farm Ltd, The James Hutton Institute, SRUC, Autonomous IOT Ltd, Soil Benchmark Ltd, Owen Farm Services Ltd

Project summary: This project aims to transform manure management for farmers by integrating advanced sensor technology, real-time data analytics, and a user-friendly platform. Key objectives include ensuring regulatory compliance, optimising manure application timing using soil and weather data, and enhancing decision-making through live data from soil sensors. Field trials will validate the platform’s effectiveness. Expected outcomes include environmental benefits like reduced pollution and improved soil health, economic gains from increased crop yields and reduced costs, and social benefits through empowering farmers with technology. The initiative supports sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship, positioning the UK as a leader in innovative farming practices.

PROJECT THREE

Project title: A-SHED – Analysis of Scottish Housed Environments for Dairy

Collaborative partners: Galebreaker Ltd, Cambridge Animal Technologies Ltd, SRUC

Project summary: The A-SHED project focuses on addressing heat stress in dairy cattle in South-West Scotland and Cumbria due to rising temperatures in the UK. The project aims to develop two key tools: a real-time app that assesses heat stress risk for dairy herds using live temperature-humidity data, and a digital tool to improve or modify farm buildings for better heat resilience. The project will also gather data on farmer perceptions, monitor dairy shed conditions, and assess the impact of heat stress on cattle. Through these innovations, A-SHED aims to improve dairy cattle welfare, productivity, and building designs to mitigate heat stress.

PROJECT FOUR

Project title: DairyPeat: Valorisation of waste milk into a peat replacement

Collaborative partners: Grouse Fibres Ltd, SRUC

Project summary: The DairyPeat project focuses on biorefining waste milk from the UK dairy industry, which currently faces significant losses due to unusable milk, to create a casein-based fibrous growth medium for horticulture. This will serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional fertilisers and peat.

The consortium will receive research support from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and conduct pilot trials with Cumbria Wildflowers Limited and Cumbria Tree Growers Ltd. By 2030, Grouse aims to process 2.5 million litres of waste milk annually, producing over 750 tonnes of casein-based fibre. This effort will replace 1,875 cubic meters of peat and reduce the use of agricultural plastics, leading to a significant environmental impact, including a reduction of 0.87ktCO2eq, while creating 43 new jobs and generating annual revenues of £4.8 million.

PROJECT FIVE

Project title: Decarbonised Digital Dairy: Integrating data-optimised thermal management with solar-assisted heat pumps

Collaborative partners: Soltropy Ltd, Thermoelectric Conversion Systems Ltd, Mechapres Ltd

Project summary: This project aims to reduce carbon emissions and costs by providing decarbonised heat for dairy farms and dairies. It integrates four innovative technologies: solar thermal heating, a solid-state heat pump without refrigerants, a steam heat pump with thermal storage, and a cutting-edge sensor system to monitor solar heating elements. These technologies will be implemented at Appleby Creamery in Cumbria to supply steam and hot water for dairy operations. The project’s solutions support the global transition to net-zero by addressing heating needs not only in the dairy supply chain but across various industries.