Technology developed by the Scottish biotech, which has announced its latest investment round, is set to revolutionise the dairy farming industry. (Image source: Business Wire)

Scottish biotech company, Biotangents recently announced its latest investment round, that is set to revolutionise the dairy farming industry with the world’s fastest on-farm, point-of-care diagnostic device aimed at addressing disease in dairy cows

Bovine mastitis is a serious and expensive problem costing the global dairy farming industry around US$25.4bn every year. Given the timeframe of existing diagnostics, which take so long that farmers resort to treating herds, predominantly with antibiotics.

The excessive use of antibiotics which that is unnecessary for 40% of cases increases the anti-microbial resistance of the herd, decreases life expectancy, and increases milk wastage, leading to negative environmental impact and significant costs. 

Biotangents developed its technology to enable farmers to make an informed treatment decision. Its solution comprises a cost effective, innovative on-farm molecular diagnostic device that provides highly accurate results in less than two hours. 

“Biotangents is on the cusp of full market launch with a technology that leads to better herd health, much improved productivity, and significantly higher levels of sustainability,” said CEO of Biotangents, Fiona Marshall.

Biotangents sees future applications for its technology not only in animal health, but also in human healthcare and environmental monitoring. Following the investment, Biotangents will commence on-farm trials across the UK and internationally later next year.

What makes the new cold plasma mite trap EX stand apart is its process which is complete devoid of additives or acaricides. (Image source: MIK INTERNATIONAL)

In collaboration with the Friedrich Loeffler Institute and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, MIK INTERNATIONAL GmbH & Co. KG presented its new product “Cold Plasma Mite Trap EX” for the first time at  EuroTier 2024 in Hanover

This system specifically focuses on controlling the red bird mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) in laying hen farms, and was honoured with a gold medal at the event. 

Red mites are one of the most common and economically important ectoparasites globally, with infestations causing massive damage to animal health and economy. Currently organic farming offers minimum options to control red mites, with the most common control method involving the use of acaricides. However, these cannot be used in excess due to the increased likelihood of developing resistance. 

What makes the new cold plasma mite trap EX stand apart is its process which is complete devoid of additives or acaricides. The process works by collecting and killing the mites and their brood in the mite trap. 

By generating a cold atmospheric pressure plasma, which is created by dielectric barrier discharge, the mites are killed highly efficiently and reliably. This can be used highly efficiently against all developmental stages of the red mite. 

After each killing process, the mite trap is automatically cleaned. The complete system is operated with a mains voltage of 230V and consists of a switching unit and at least one mite trap. Currently, 80 “Mite-EX” mite traps can be operated per switching unit.

TARGAN brings AI-driven system WingScan to the European market. (Image source: TARGAN)

Animal AgTech company TARGAN, Inc. recently secured a new contract with IKO Kompania Drobiarska to install TARGAN's automated feather-sexing system, WingScan 

This collaboration debuted at EuroTier 2024 in Hannover, Germany this year, following which it demonstrated TARGAN's commitment to delivering innovative AI-powered solutions to poultry producing companies across Europe. 

Depending on configuration, the WingScan system offers a throughput of 40,000–160,000 chicks per hour, with up to 98% accuracy. Automated chick sexing enhances efficiency and performance, providing downstream benefits at both the farm and processing levels. By implementing gender-specific rearing strategies, producers can improve flock uniformity, ultimately optimising plant operations.

IKO's CEO, Zbigniew Idziaszek expressed pride in being one of the first companies in Europe to integrate WingScan into their hatchery, while looking forward to the positive impact as they continued to expand their operations. He also highlighted how TARGAN's system perfectly aligned with their goals of boosting efficiency, enhancing quality and improving welfare standards across all stages of production.

Viscon Hatchery Automation, TARGAN’s commercial distribution and service partner for WingScan across select European markets, was instrumental in facilitating the agreement with IKO. The European launch of WingScan reaffirms TARGAN’s commitment to advancing animal protein production globally by delivering scalable, next-generation automation that meets the increasing demands of the poultry industry.

Area Sales Manager, Tomasz Zimnicki mentioned that the collaboration provided a tremendous opportunity to meet the specific needs of the European market. "IKO is well-positioned to fully capitalise on the downstream benefits at every stage of production—from hatchery to farm to processing plant—maintaining a strong competitive edge. We are excited about the continued collaboration between TARGAN and Viscon and are fully prepared to provide the highest quality support and service as more customers adopt the WingScan system,” said Zimnicki. 

Developed under the AADGG, the app enables users to search and view historical data on each individual cow. (Image source: AADGG)

In an attempt to boost productivity and support smallholder farmers, an advanced livestock monitiring app has been launched under the African Asian Dairy Genetics Gains Project (AADGG)

As part of the combined effort from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), this tool offers real-time capabilities in livestock health, feed management, and artificial insemination data collection, none of which were previously available with the commonly used Open Data Kit (ODK) system.

How it works

The app replaces a simpler ODK data-gathering system that could be accessed through a tablet or laptop but could not be accessed by farmers, while also making it relatively difficult to retrieve collected data. Developed under the AADGG, the app enables users to search and view historical data on each individual cow. It also makes it easier to register farms, farmers and their livestock, enabling the recording of household information, health, breeding, and productivity data on individual cattle by farmers, researchers, and AADGG collaborators. With improved visibility and data quality through this mobile app, efforts to select adaptable, high-yielding dairy genetics for smallholder dairy farmers in Africa and Asia will be significantly strengthened.

"The app is a game-changer for us, providing a long-term sustainability path for our data collection. It gives us many more opportunities for data capture and of higher accuracy," said Raphael Mrode, ILRI Principal scientist and researcher at CTLGH.

Some of the features and benefits of the application include:

1. Real-time data collection: Enables instant recording and feedback on livestock health, breeding, and productivity.

2. Advanced modules: Tracks pedigree, milk output, farm size, animal traits, and more, offering comprehensive insights.

3. Historical data access: Provides farmers with visibility into past records, enhancing decision-making.

4. User-friendly design: Runs on Android smartphones and is designed for accessibility, with future plans for local language translations.

The AADGG-Dairy Data App runs on Android smartphones and was rolled out by a multi-national team in four African countries, namley, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and in Nepal during the months of September-October. Jennifer Volk, senior Information and Data Systems Lead at CTLGH emphasised that the app's interface and real-time feedback greatly helped farmers to better manage their livestock, while also addressing the key challenges faced by them.

By advancing sustainable livestock management, ILRI and CTLGH have embarked on a quest to empower smallholder farmers through innovative solutions. They have also invited stakeholders, policymakers, and development partners to join efforts in scaling its impact and transforming farming practices globally.