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Precision Agriculture III

Course developers

Course abstract

During the study course students will acquire information about use of precise (smart) technologies, their advantages and role in productivity and quality of production enhancement as well as in reduction of manual labor in modern farms. In study process students will visit animal farms with different types of precise technologies.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

Students will gain:
• knowledge about principles of precise technologies and their possible use in the to obtain high quality production.
• skills to choose the suitable smart technologies depending on the necessities of specific species of animals, evaluate the newest achievements in science concerning precise (smart) technologies, independently learn about newest scientific and professional information in the specific field.
•competence to evaluate the usefulness modern technologies in different farming systems, connecting it with the type of production obtained, size and conditions in the farm. Students also will be competent to plan, research and calculate costs and benefits with the introduction of specific technology. .

Course Content(Calendar)

1. The role of smart technology introduction in intensive animal husbandry.Lectures 4 h.
2. The animal identification systems, their possible use in farms.Lectures 1 h.
Seminar. The identification methods of different animal species, the use of system to obtain individual data. 4 h.
3. The possibilities to evaluate feed quality. Lectures 3h. Practical works 1 h.
4. The justification of choice for specific technologies in farms .Lectures 2 h. Practical works 1 h .
5. The technological possibilities for feed distribution. Lectures 4 h.
Seminar. Precise technologies for distribution of feed for different animal species and animals in different age groups. 4 h.
6. Farm microclimate maintenance according to animal welfare legislation, manure collection technological solutions. Lectures 2 h. Practical works 1 h.
Seminar. Precise technologies for maintaining suitable microclimate conditions for different animal species and age groups. 4 .
7. Precise technologies in milk production and evaluation of milk quality. Lectures 3 h. Prac tical works 2 h.
8. Precise technologies for characterizing beef productivity traits and evaluation of meat quality. Lectures 3 h. Practical works 1 h.
Seminar. Evaluation of productivity and quality of production from different animal species. 4 h.
9. The data collection from animal reproductive cycle. The use of obtained data for optimization of herds reproduction traits. Lectures 2 h. Practical works 2 h.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Learned study course material. Attended all seminars and given all presentations of individual work Successfully passed exam.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

During study course are planned 4 seminars. Each student must prepare presentation about the topic of specific seminar about chosen animal species.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

In seminars are publically presented individually prepared presentations. Listeners also participate in the presentation evaluation process. The evaluation of exam is calculated from evaluation of presentations (50%) and the grade of exam (50%).

Compulsory reading

1. Laurs A., Zujs V. Ganāmpulka menedžmenta sistēma. – Jelgava: LLU, 2008. – 120 lpp. file:///E:/Documents/Downloads/Ganampulka_menedzmenta_sist.pdf
2. Moderna piena ražošanas ferma: tehnoloģija, tehnika, apsaimniekošana. J. Priekuļa red. Jelgava: LLU, 2012. - 240 lpp.
3. Laurs A. Teļu automatizēta ēdināšana. Jelgava: LLU, 2008. - 40 lpp.
file:///E:/Documents/Downloads/Telju_automatizeta_edinasana.pdf
4. Precision Dairy Farming 2016, edited by C. Kamphuis end W. Steeneveld. Conference proceeding, 2016. - 459 p. (viens eksemplārs pie D. Kairišas)
2. Bessei W. Bäuerliche Hühnerhaltung: Junghennen, legehennen. Stuttgart: Ulmer, 1999. - 185 s. (viens eksemplārs pie D. Kairišas)
3. Perfecting the Pig Environment. P. Smith, H. Crabtree & N. Bird. 96 p.

Further reading

1. Precision Livestock Farming '09: Papers Presented at the 4th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming, Wageningen, the Netherlands, 6-8 July 2009., 280 p. Elektroniski pieejams: https://books.google.lv/books?id=1LCWQqWg_1sC&printsec=frontcover&hl=lv&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
2. Precision Dairy Conference and Expo. A Conference on Precision Dairy Technologies Hosted by the University of Minnesota, Elektroniski pieejams:
https://www.ansci.umn.edu/sites/ansci.umn.edu/files/2013_precision_dairy_proceedings.pdf , skatīts 24.09.2019.
3. Precision Livestock Farming ’13. edited by D. Berckmans and J. Vandermeulen. Papers presented at the 6th european conference on Precision Livestock Farming Leuven, Belgium. 2013. 965 c. Elektroniski pieejams: http://www.eaplf.eu/wp-content/uploads/ECPLF_2013.pdf,

Periodicals and other sources

Journal of Dairy Science. Elektroniski pieejams: https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/
Small Ruminante Research. Elektroniski pieejams: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/small-ruminant-research