Sub-project Livestock Science and Agricultural Engineering in the Cluster Project Digitisation in Agriculture

Sub-project A) Feasibility study on the recording of meat quality by means of camera methods in daily operations of slaughterhouses for cattle in Austria: 'Fleckvieh' is the most common cattle breed in Austria. Due to their dual purpose suitability, both milk and meat performance traits are included in the breeding objective. However, meat quality is currently not included in the breeding objective. The limiting factor for this is the limited availability of suitable information of the respective phenotypes. The aim of this project is to carry out a feasibility study on the routine survey of meat quality in cattle using the camera method in the slaughterhouse. In this context, a logistics or process chain for the survey of meat quality using the camera method in routine operations will be developed, and a hyperspectral camera already available on the market for the survey of meat quality characteristics (marbling class, meat and fat colour, back muscle area) will be tested for Austrian conditions. Based on the research results, a recommendation for the routine survey of meat quality traits at the slaughterhouse using the camera method will be prepared, which will serve cattle breeding organisations and meat inspection bodies as a basis for decision-making for future developments in this field. Subproject B) Management of Agri-Photovoltaic Systems APV is the combination of agricultural production and energy production by means of photovoltaics. In contrast to open-space PV systems, agricultural production should still be possible, with the aim of achieving at least 70% of the yields compared to the yields before the installation of the APV system. The management of land with APV is more challenging due to the technical equipment on the field. In particular, the management of the areas under the PV modules requires a precise working method to avoid damage to them as well as to equipment and machinery. Therefore, the use of GPS-based systems is advantageous. With the help of modern digital methods, simple solution concepts are to be offered, which can also be easily integrated into a farm. In the first step of the project, procedural parameters are to be collected to determine the extent to which the management of an APV system differs from that of uncultivated arable land. The focus is particularly on parameters that enable the most efficient cultivation of the area. In a second step, a procedural optimisation of the cultivation will be developed, whereby the potential of the existing agricultural equipment in terms of automation and Agriculture 4.0 is to be exploited as fully as possible. From the results, further optimisations of cultivation between as well as under the PV modules are to be derived and implemented on a rudimentary basis. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)