Interest in the SDGs and the environment is growing both domestically and internationally, and they are permeating all industries as important codes of conduct. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) formulated the "Green Food System Strategy: Achieving both productivity improvement and sustainability in the food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries through innovation" in May 2021. This strategy outlines the challenges and direction for sustainable production of livestock products as a measure to reduce the environmental burden of livestock production, and clearly states the need for efforts to promote labor-saving feeding management and reduction of accident rates by utilizing information and communication technology (ICT), and the spread of labor-saving and efficient feeding management technology through pasturage and other means. The need for efforts to promote the spread of labor-saving and efficient feeding management technology through grazing, etc., is clearly stated.
THE LABORATORY OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL RESOURCE SCIENCE, AIMS TO "IMPROVE THE COMFORT OF LIVESTOCK SO THAT THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THEIR PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY" BY CLARIFYING THEIR PRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS (DIGESTION, ABSORPTION, GROWTH, LACTATION, REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS, ETC.) AND THEIR REGULATORY MECHANISMS. WE ARE ALSO DEVELOPING ANIMAL WELFARE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES THAT PROVIDE BETTER LIVING ENVIRONMENTS BY IMPROVING ANIMAL HANDLING AND OTHER ASPECTS OF ANIMAL WELFARE. IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE ALSO BEEN MAKING ADVANCED EFFORTS TO INCORPORATE ICT AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TECHNOLOGIES INTO THE LIVESTOCK BREEDING FIELD.
In 2020, "Livestock Japan G.K.", a venture company that originated from our laboratory, was established to contribute to the improvement of livestock farmers' business by promptly implementing in society the research results and developed technologies for improving comfort and productivity of livestock (animals) that have been cultivated in our laboratory. The company was established to contribute to the improvement of livestock farmers' management through the rapid social implementation of research results and technologies developed to improve productivity. Livestock Japan LLC was established to contribute to the realization of sustainable livestock production by paying respect to livestock (animals) that produce the livestock products (milk, meat, eggs) that we usually eat without thinking about it, and to contribute to society by "respecting life, exploring the truth of life, and contributing to society with a spirit of practical learning. We aim to realize Kitasato University's philosophy of "Respecting life, exploring the truth of life, and contributing to society with a spirit of practical learning.
A new smartphone application for beef cattle breeders and technicians, "Feed Design Advice System (Feed Balancer)," has been developed to provide advice on the appropriate amount and balance of feed for beef cattle. This development enables beef farmers to understand the amount and balance of feed required for breeding heifers and calves, and to feed necessary nutrients without excess or deficiency, which is expected to improve reproductive performance and growth and increase productivity.
USING IMAGE RECOGNITION AI, A NEW SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND COMMERCIALIZED THAT DETECTS CHARACTERISTIC CHANGES IN COW BEHAVIOR (SIGNS OF CALVING) PRIOR TO CALVING IN A NON-CONTACT MANNER AND NOTIFIES THE KEEPER OF SUCH CHANGES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW SYSTEM REDUCES THE LABOR BURDEN OF DAY-AND-NIGHT CALVING MONITORING FOR CATTLE FARMERS, AND ALSO ELIMINATES ANY BURDEN ON THE COWS. APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE IS REALIZED BY THE CALVING SIGN NOTIFICATION E-MAIL, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CALVING ACCIDENTS.
Based on the results of basic research on livestock production technology in the Laboratory of Animal Husbandry and Management, this system was developed in cooperation with a private weather forecasting company to meet the needs of production sites. This smartphone application provides livestock farmers with a temperature and humidity index (THI) to determine the risk of heat and cold stress to livestock (dairy cattle, beef cattle, calves, pigs, and chickens) in advance and the degree of heat stress for each animal as a forecast. By enabling farmers to identify the risk of heat and cold stress to their livestock in advance, appropriate measures can be taken to reduce the loss of productivity due to heat and cold stress. Furthermore, it contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to build resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, and to the practice of animal welfare, which aims to manage livestock with consideration for their comfort.
The compatibility of productivity and sustainability in agriculture (livestock production) is an urgent issue for mankind and occupies an important position among the SGDs. Smart livestock production is expected to make a significant contribution to solving this problem through various approaches.
The Laboratory of Animal Husbandry and Management, Department of Animal Resource Science, will continue to conduct basic and applied research and education with the goal of realizing sustainable agriculture (animal husbandry), while aiming to realize one of the founding principles of Kitasato University, "Wisdom and Practice (applying knowledge and technology acquired through study to practical situations and giving back to society) We are committed to realizing "Wisdom and Practice (to give back to society by applying the knowledge and skills learned to practical situations)".
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