Big data is ready for the farm. But is the farm ready for big data?

84 percent of U.S. farmers who responded to a recent Stratus Ag Research survey said they have high-tech equipment that captures reams of data from livestock, planting, harvesting or crop protection operations. Yet, only 42 percent of them are transferring this information to a field data management software program for further analysis. 

The question is: How can producers harness all of this information to drive efficiency and profitability once it has been collected?

KEENAN, a technological entrepreneur of diet feeders, stepped up to this challenge by expanding into farm data analysis with InTouch technology, which delivers solutions on-farm in real time.

“We've been involved with the internet of things (IoT) since about 2011,” said Conan Condon, director of KEENAN’s InTouch system. “At that stage, there wasn't much connectivity. There were about 12 million connected devices. Today, there are about 6.4 billion connected devices.” 

At present, more than 2,000 livestock operations, ranging in size from tens to thousands of cows, use the InTouch system, a live review and support service that helps producers apply actionable intelligence to their operations, giving them the benefit of KEENAN’s access to data on more than 1.3 million monitored cows.

InTouch technology: Acting on data today

KEENAN InTouch is a simple, cloud-based communications platform that offers real-time performance monitoring. The system allows for all feed ingredients to be added to the diet feeder in consistent orders and ratios, thereby promoting feeding consistency and improving livestock performance and profitability.  

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Producers are looking for easy alternatives to interpreting and actioning data. InTouch supports that process, as data is automatically transferred and received after completion of every load. Not only are paperwork and time delays eliminated, but the InTouch platform also allows for instant feedback. This means that producers can make informed decisions on maintaining and/or improving ration accuracy, consistency and presentation, thereby maximizing livestock performance. InTouch can also incorporate data from other herd management software programs and services such as the Dairy Herd Improvement Association, resulting in better quality analysis. 

Convenience is also a key feature of InTouch. Ration changes can be made from a computer or smartphone, through the InTouch customer service center or programmed directly to the KEENAN diet feeder. Nutritionists can also send ration changes directly to the weigh scale on the diet feeder.

The pre-self-loading order and mixing time takes the guesswork out of loading accuracy, suggesting a mixing order based on type, length of cut and moisture levels of the ingredients. It also calculates the required number of mixing revolutions needed to maximize effective fiber and delivers a consistent, uniform mix, based on 17 years of data gathered from farms all around the world.

To maximize profits for producers, InTouch’s support services help them monitor everything from feed costs and diet feeder performance to proper inclusion rate accuracy in order to maximize profits. Daily, monthly and annual performance reports for feed efficiency, the cost to produce 100 pounds of milk, profit margin per cow and production trends are automatically produced. This means no more combing through data or handwritten notes to find patterns that might unlock efficiency — using InTouch, farm consultants can generate benchmark summary reports that can reveal management practices to improve livestock performance and profitability.

The MechFiber difference

Based on years of data from more than 1 million cows, KEENAN has developed a range of products tailored to the needs of farmers, including reel, self-propelled, vertical and static machines for small- to medium-sized farms and pro-mixers for high-volume feed manufacturing and larger farms. These machines are designed to improve rumen health, resulting in improved feed efficiency and livestock production.

They are durable and easy to maintain, with a low daily operating cost and stationary blades for controlled chopping. They have a simple drive system, with no gearbox required and they empty completely, so no ration ingredients intended for one group of animals are fed to another.

Each diet feeder has two chambers (mixing and dispensing) and, together with a six-paddle reel and patented fixed-knives system, is engineered to produce a consistent, uniform, fluffy mix called MechFiber, which is unique to KEENAN machines.

Independent trials have consistently shown that MechFiber retains the fiber structure needed to stimulate rumination, allowing greater absorption of energy and maximizing feed conversion efficiency.

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KEENAN diet feeders produce consistent rations from as little as five percent capacity up to 22,000 pounds. They easily handle and deliver a consistent, uniform mix for smaller dry cows, post-fresh cows and heifer groups. KEENAN customers can purchase separate ingredients to prepare their own premixes.  

Additionally, the low-power requirement design saves up to 50 percent in fuel consumption and reduces tractor and KEENAN diet feeder maintenance costs. Larger, more expensive tractors are not required compared to equivalent capacity vertical mixers, as a 120-horsepower tractor will operate a 1,000-cubic-foot diet feeder at recommended speeds of 1,200–1,500 revolutions per minute.

KEENAN started manufacturing quality diet feeders with cutting-edge designs and technology in 1978. In 2016, Alltech acquired KEENAN and is re-establishing the diet feeder in the U.S. market with a fresh approach to innovation that builds on KEENAN’s strong reputation for quality and performance.

Manufactured in Borris, County Carlow in Ireland, KEENAN products are available for purchase in the U.S. For more information about KEENAN, visit www.keenansystem.com. 

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[DUBLIN, Ireland] – As fossil fuels deplete at astounding rates, biogas production is fast becoming an alternative source of economic and renewable energy. Alltech’s new product, DIGEST P3, improves the profitability of anaerobic digestion by optimising biogas productivity. DIGEST P3 is an enzyme complex produced by the breakdown of organic matter through a process called solid state fermentation, with production similar to that of yeast fermentation. Since Alltech has nearly 40 years’ experience in the fermentation of yeast for both the animal health and brewing industries, biogas fermentation is a logical next chapter for the company. Through mastery of solid state fermentation techniques, Alltech can produce enzymes economically and pass this cost savings along to customers.

“This is exciting. This is why I love what I do,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “We have taken our expertise and decades of knowledge in fermentation and applied them to the development of DIGEST P3. Remember, efficiency on the farm is what we are experts in. Alltech is all about adding value and efficiency and bringing sustainable solutions to market. Dealing with waste, while at the same time producing renewable energy, is simply another way we are using innovative and ground-breaking technologies to solve our customers’ issues.”

DIGEST P3 works with methane-generating microflora to help break down feedstock components previously inaccessible through digestion. This enhanced feed breakdown allows for more readily available energy and protein for the microflora, resulting in additional biogas volumes from the same amount of feed input. DIGEST P3 allows for flexibility in feedstock formulation through the inclusion of byproducts and alternative raw materials.

“We are working with customers to optimise the flexibility offered by this technology,” said Niall Brennan, biogas project manager at Alltech. “We are seeing some customers reduce their feedstock inputs and maintain their gas outputs. It is very encouraging to see the range of benefits DIGEST P3 offers Alltech customers.”

Alltech has just completed a research trial with Harper Adams University in England to identify optimum performance-enhancing additives. The trial was run utilising DIGEST P3 in commercial plants across Europe. In the trial, DIGEST P3’s additional feed breakdown led to increased biogas production, reduced feed costs, reduced power consumption and uplifts in operating profit.

“Since implementing DIGEST P3, many of our customers have witnessed significant improvement in substrate efficiency,” said Brennan. “This allows our customers to decrease the amount of substrates they input each day, yet maintain a consistent energy output.”

For more information on DIGEST P3, please visit go.alltech.com/digest-p3 and stay connected through Twitter and Facebook.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, is certain to inspire and motivate producers and agribusiness leaders, but more importantly, it will prepare them for the future. The three-day conference will bring together industry experts from across the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within agriculture.

To provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage in disruption, ONE17 will include various tracks, including a focus session specifically dedicated to aqua production. From consumer demand for sustainable, healthy farmed fish to the potential of seaweed, ONE17 will provide real-life solutions for aqua producers.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in agriculture to be inspired to harness disruption,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “The aqua production focus session will provide practical solutions that position aqua producers to meet consumer demands, sustainability requirements and profitability objectives.”

ONE17 aquaculture focus session

• Simpler Salmon: Is there an easier way to combat the sticky issue of sea lice?
• Back to the Basics: Consumers want a sustainable, healthy farmed fish without fish oil or fish meal, but they still want the health benefits that come from a normal fish diet, specifically DHA omega-3. Can we solve the fish oil and fish meal problem?
• Seaweed's Enormous Potential: Discover the potential of one of nature's original foods, from iodine to fiber and beyond.
• Total Sustainability, Total Traceability: Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) not only reduce water use, but maintain water quality and reduce ammonia toxicity.
• The Faroe Islands: A Small Group, but a Great Disruptor:. Faroe Islanders are successfully delivering what consumers want in their fish: the right color, the right taste and the right DHA levels. They also produce their fish with minimum water requirements. Do the Faroe Islands offer a model for the future?

For more information on the ONE17 aquaculture focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/aquaculture.

Register before April 1 to save $300 on your passport to innovative ideas at ONE17.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17), held May 21–24 in Lexington, Kentucky, is certain to inspire and motivate producers and agribusiness leaders, but more importantly, it will prepare them for the future. The three-day conference will bring together industry experts from across the globe to share insights and solutions to today’s most pressing issues within agriculture.

To provide an opportunity for every corner of production agriculture to engage in disruption, ONE17 will include various tracks, including a focus session specifically dedicated to poultry production. From topics covering in ovo techniques and the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome modification to the effects of backyard farming and consumer meat preferences, ONE17 will give poultry producers real-life solutions.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in agriculture to be inspired to harness disruption,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “For poultry producers, however, we understand that innovation must be practical and profitable. Our poultry focus session will facilitate open discussions about what’s ahead for the poultry industry and will drive the disruptive thinking that could determine long-term success.”

ONE17 poultry focus session

• In Ovo: Counting your chickens before they hatch? Could in ovo techniques be the next disruption in the poultry industry, and what benefits could they deliver to the consumer?
• Chickens by Design: What implications does CRISPR/Cas9 have for the world’s preferred protein?
• Slow-Grown Disruption: Is the slow-growth movement a disruption? Is it sustainable?
• Chickens and Eggs: Two growing markets have emerged: backyard farming and large-scale consolidation. What are the opportunities?
• Disruption in Washington: What can we expect from the new leadership landscape? How could the food chain and global trade be disrupted?
• The Biologist’s Toolbox: Precise gene editing technologies are the newest tool in the biologist’s toolbox, but are we pushing ethical limits?

For more information on the ONE17 poultry focus session, visit: one.alltech.com/poultry.

Register before April 1 to save $300 on your passport to innovative ideas at ONE17.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #ONE17.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – The Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland, was accredited in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 from Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. This objective, third-party assessment distinguishes the managerial and technical requirements of the lab and ensures the accuracy and impartiality of analytical results.

The European Alltech 37+ mycotoxin laboratory, which opened in April 2016, is the third of its kind for Alltech, which has two similar laboratories in the U.S. and China. The proprietary 37+ LC/MS/MS analytical method, developed by Alltech, is included in the scope of accreditation. This analytical method is state-of-the-art in its detection and quantisation of more than 37 mycotoxins at parts per billion (ppb) and parts per trillion (ppt) levels.

“This accreditation sets the bar in global mycotoxin investigation and reaffirms our customers’ confidence in the precise, accurate and thorough testing of the Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis programme,” said Steve Mobley, manager of the European Alltech 37+ mycotoxin laboratory.

“Our diagnostic approach allows us to further investigate livestock and poultry health issues, study global mycotoxin trends and develop comprehensive, customised mycotoxin management programmes for our customers,” continued Mobley.

Led by Dr. Emma Daniels, senior analytical chemist and laboratory coordinator, the Alltech European 37+ laboratory provides much-needed, high-throughput mycotoxin profiling services to accelerate the detection process while saving time and money for European farmers and food producers.

Run in conjunction with the Alltech® Mycotoxin Management programme, Alltech continues to collate a powerful database, which recognises mycotoxin issues throughout the world. To date, Alltech’s mycotoxin laboratories have analysed more than 14,000 samples since opening its first dedicated facility in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, in 2012.

Research carried out on mycotoxin samples analysed in January and February in North American silages showed evidence of type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid. Although type B trichothecenes are still a prevalent mycotoxin group found in silages that can damage the health and productivity of animals, recently, there has been increase in the number of cases of type A trichothecenes and other Penicillium mycotoxins. In Europe, type B trichothecenes are still common among silages, but there is also a high risk from the other Penicillium mycotoxins, which occurred in 45 percent of samples at an average of 1,533 ppb.

For further information on the Alltech Mycotoxin Management programme, please visit www.knowmycotoxins.com.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The outlook for aquaculture, the fastest-growing sector in the feed industry, is strong. Yet, challenges loom as aquaculture producers find themselves dealing with pressures on all sides. They face a limited supply of fish oil from overfished oceans. Meanwhile, increasing consumer demand for more sustainable seafood is causing ripples in the supply chain.

It is at this pivotal tipping point where a new collaboration is seeking to provide sustainable aquaculture nutrition solutions.

Coppens International, an innovative Dutch aquatic feed and nutrition company that joined Alltech in 2016, will be collaborating with Guabi, a leading fish feed producer in Brazil. Guabi, a 43-year veteran in the animal feed business, entered into a strategic partnership with Alltech earlier this year, and now Alltech is linking the two leading aquaculture feed producers from opposite sides of the ocean together to accelerate solutions for the aquaculture industry.

“The opportunities between Coppens, Guabi and Alltech are exciting,” said Paulo Rigolin, strategic director for Alltech. “You have leaders in two different regions — Latin America and Europe — combining technology and expertise from more than 20 years of working in aquaculture. This strength is underpinned by Alltech, a leader in numerous agricultural sectors, including aquaculture.”

Guabi and Coppens have already begun discussing new opportunities, and it is expected that algae technology will be a significant focus.

“It’s a great opportunity to further apply new technologies to maximize performance for aquaculture species, but more importantly to bring profitability to producers and the highest quality products to consumers,” said Rigolin.

Guabi has a particular expertise in extruded feeds and unique solutions for a wide variety of aquaculture species, from shrimp to native South America freshwater fish. In addition to a range of feeds incorporating Alltech’s sustainable alternatives to fish oil and inorganic trace minerals, Coppens specializes in nutrition for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and recently announced a major $1 million expansion of their research center in the Netherlands.

“The new Coppens Research Centre will enable us to do more relevant studies and, more importantly, work with more species than previously whilst also providing a training centre for our staff around the world and customers alike,” said Anno Galema, managing director for Coppens.

Coppens and Guabi will share information on formulations, manufacturing techniques, and raw material and ingredient utilization.

“These are two leading companies in aquaculture feeds, each with unique local expertise,” said Patrick Charlton, CEO of Coppens. “We are very optimistic about what we might deliver to our customers through a collaborative approach to the pressing issues aquaculture faces.”

According to the 2017 Alltech Global Feed Survey, the aquaculture industry experienced a 12 percent increase in feed production in 2016, reaching 39.9 million metric tons.

“We have seen aquaculture as key to our global growth for many years now, and the work with Coppens and Guabi allows us to be able to provide our customers with feeds incorporating the Alltech technologies that we believe are most critical to improving health and performance,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Through these relationships and our shared commitment to innovative research, we believe we are well-equipped to provide our customers with a level of support and expertise that is unrivaled in our industry.”

This expertise is reinforced through a series of research alliances with several universities and a research institute, all of which have focused on examining the impact of Alltech’s algae solutions in a variety of species:

Alltech-Kochi University Research Alliance (Japan) in Japanese yellowtail

Alltech-Ocean University of China Research Alliance (China) in turbot and shrimp

Alltech-Federal University of Santa Catarina Research Alliance (Brazil) in tilapia

Alltech-Kentucky State University Research Alliance (U.S.) in largemouth bass and shrimp

Alltech-Nofima Research Alliance (Norway) in Atlantic salmon

The research alliances’ findings to date have observed that Alltech’s All-G Rich™ could replace fish oil in the diets of marine, freshwater and salmonid species while maintaining performance and DHA levels in the fillet.

According to Dr. Lyons, the aquaculture industry should expect a long-term commitment from Alltech.

“We are already looking to add one or two more complementary partners to our aquaculture program,” said Dr. Lyons.

For information on Alltech’s innovative and sustainable solutions for aquaculture nutrition, visit www.alltech.com/aquaculture.