As part of our ongoing research into cutting-edge technologies in agriculture, our team recently had the opportunity to visit Lely’s demonstration farm in Schipluiden. The visit provided an inspiring look into how automation and precision farming technologies are transforming the dairy industry from a labor-intensive work to efficient and sustainable systems.
The visit began with an introduction to Lely. It was followed by a presentation on the key challenges in dairy farming and the innovative solutions and cutting edge technologies developed to address them. The farm showed an automated dairy system, integrating technologies such as milking robot, automatic feeding system (Vector), and Lely Sphere (from separation strips and manure robot to N-capture and nitrogen silos). Each solution was designed to interacts with its environment in real time, adapting to variables such as animal behavior, environmental conditions, and production variability. These innovations were at the cutting-edge of automation and data-driven system in modern livestock farming.
The visit reaffirmed the crucial role that automation and smart systems play in solving real-world challenges in dairy production. Seeing these technologies in action gave us a clearer perspective on how technology can support sustainability, animal welfare, and efficiency in agriculture. Thank to Elisa Vrieze and Lely for arranging the visit and providing a detailed, hands-on view of their innovations.
Written by Maedeh Sadeghi, PhD candidate at Wageningen University