Management tool for the systemic survey and optimisation of the nutrient efficiency on dairy farms

Due to deficient coordination between the different areas in the agricultural operation system substantial amounts of nutrients are lost from agricultural farms and pollute the environment. The agricultural operation system is complex and the praxis lacks reasonable decision-making support.

The aim of this project is to develop a computer-based management tool for the agricultural praxis that enables dairy farms to quantify and to control targetedly the nutrient flow for all of their operational areas in order to reduce the nutrient loss from their farms and to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the operational nutrient utilisation.

The basis is an analysis and assessment of the available farm data with the management tool. This will be carried out at the level of the whole system as well as at the levels of the subjacent sub-systems to visualise possible conflict of goals in the different operational areas. The nutrient flow on dairy farms is displayed by the division in four sub-systems which are definable from each other: (1) livestock, (2) manure storage and manure distribution, (3) arable land and grassland, and (4) feed storage and feed distribution. Through corresponding assessment models the management tool helps to generate a catalogue of measures aligned with the farm specific conditions to optimise the nutrient efficiency of the whole farm system.

The project is carried out in cooperation with Data Service Paretz GmbH (DSP). The project has an duration of 3 years.

The project is supported by funds of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) based on a decision of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany via the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) under the innovation support programme.