|
|
R U R A L S T O R Y |
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
MilkHub tackles mastistis
|
|
By ADRIAN BATHGATE
Wellington-based
Radian Technology reckons it is poised to make a huge breakthrough in the way
dairy herds are monitored for milk quality and yield.
The company is developing a product called MilkHub which will detect infections such as mastitis in cows earlier than previously possible.
Managing director Ross Nilson says MilkHub has been two years in development, and could be ready for commercial release early next year.
During milking, three temperature sensors and two electro-magnetic sensors check the milk as it passes through the tube from the cow to the vat. This removes the need to take physical samples of the milk.
The electro-magnetic sensors can detect the salt level, with a high salt level indicating a possible infection.
"The cunning bit is the analysis. We've done a lot of work with that," Mr Nilson says.
This involves bringing the five readings together to form an ongoing record of the cow's performance.
Information such as yield and the general health of the cow can also be derived from the readings, all of which are stored on a database so each cow's productivity can be mapped during each milking and over time.
This lets farmers build a profile of each cow, how much milk they produce and whether they are prone to infections.
MilkHub uses a GPRS cellular connection to send the data to a remote office PC, so managers on larger farms can monitor the herd without having to leave the office.
Currently farmers have to rely on herd testing to get an indication of individual performance, a costly and time consuming process. With MilkHub they will get the information with each milking.
Mr Nilson says mastitis costs the dairy industry about $200 million a year. He believes once MilkHub becomes available, this cost should fall dramatically.
"That's the turning point commercially, because it's something you can't detect easily." MilkHub can detect it and early detection reduces the risk of infections spreading, Mr Nilson says.
Radian is in the process of obtaining worldwide patents to protect the technology.
Mr Nilson says MilkHub has been displayed at events such as the Hamilton Fieldays and has attracted reasonable interest. A website active for the past year has received more than 1000 hits.
Full field trials are expected early next year and, if successful, a commercial launch will soon follow.
The project
has had the support of New Zealand Trade and
He says the total cost of bringing MilkHub to market is "several million" but the potential earnings are huge.
"Potentially
this is worth many, many millions. This could go well beyond
He estimates the cost will be about $50,000 for a 60-bale milking shed, with a potential return on investment of less than two years.
Radian has been operating for three years. The milk project is its first and main undertaking.
