Purdue Receives $1 Million USDA Grant for Innovative Dairy Technology

Purdue University has been awarded a $1 million grant from USDA to improve dairy feed by using technology to improve efficiencies and consistency. The grant is one of more than $9 million in investments supporting 12 projects in animal innovation systems. According to Jacquelyn Boerman, associate professor of animal sciences at Purdue, feed costs remain the top concern for dairy producers. And, with the industry’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050, technology will need to continuously innovate to move dairy production forward.

How will Purdue use the funds? Researchers will use video analytics systems to pursue feed improvements. Integrated data will be able to measure movement, temperature, water intake, rumination and milk-production data from cows. If successful, the project will make it possible to measure feed intake for each individual animal in group settings.

Read more on dairy feed efficiency innovation here.