Experience and problems of implementation of digital solutions in animal husbandry of the Republic of Belarus (review)

Abstract

The presented review article describes a number of some important software products, information systems, and other digital solutions that are extremely necessary for the effective functioning of the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus in general and animal husbandry in particular. The important global trends in the development of modern agriculture are considered, the benefits received by farmers from the use of various digital technologies are discussed, and the need to accelerate the current pace of introduction of diffirent elements of precision farming and animal husbandry systems into Belarusian agriculture is noted. In the animal husbandry of the republic a number of farms using Smart Farm technology already use robotic milking modules with monitoring of milk quality and the physiological state of animals, which reduces the incidence of cows with mastitis by 25–30 %, increases the time of economic use of animals up to 4–5 lactations. The use of robotic tools for the preparation and distribution of feed mixtures allows us to increase the milk yield of cows by 30–40 %. At the same time, the profitability of products produced using this technology can exceed 40 %. Feed preparation and distribution systems have been developed. On farms with free-stall housing animal husbandry, concentrated feed is normalized by the automated cow feeding station SKA-25 developed by RUE “NPC of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agricultural Mechanization”. The use of a feeding station makes it possible to automate the process of issuing concentrated feed, as well as to monitor the use of high-energy feed through automated process control systems on cattle farms.