A Roadmap for the Future of Agrotechnology

The VDI roadmap - 'Agriculture Technology 2030' © Illustration: VDI all images in original size . How can reducing greenhouse gas emissions, more efficient energy use and animal welfare be balanced even more successfully in livestock farming in the future? This was the question tackled by a team of authors led by Professor Wolfgang Büscher and Inga Tiemann from the Animal Husbandry Technology Department, which is part of the Institute of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Bonn. Their contributions have now been published alongside those of many other researchers in the VDI Roadmap entitled "Agriculture Technology 2030."  Some parts of the animal husbandry industry already make use of automation and robotics-automatic milking systems, for instance, have been a state-of-the-art technology in dairy farming for some time now. Yet there is a significant need for more digitalization, with the individualized handling of livestock still a long way off as a means of improving animal welfare, reducing environmental pollution and using resources more efficiently. "Two aspects were particularly important to us," says Professor Wolfgang Büscher from the Institute of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Bonn. "How can digitalization help improve animal welfare through tailored monitoring and care? And how can we slow climate change by cutting emissions from livestock farming and help shrink its carbon footprint through smart energy use?" - Fattening compartment: - Before the animals go to feed, digital image processing and AI are used to determine which food is right for them.