PVL's projects
In both the Netherlands and Flanders, extensive manure surpluses are realised in animal husbandry every year. These manure surpluses are partly exported to neighbouring countries. At the same time, farmers in the Netherlands and Flanders have to purchase large quantities of expensive mineral fertilisers every year. The Interreg project 'NITROMAN' aims to investigate in the Flemish-Dutch border region whether mineral fertilisers can be extracted from available [...]
This project deals with safeguarding the pollution of ground and surface water by chemicals originating from used plant protection products so that there are no risks for humans, animals and the environment. The general aim of the project is to improve the measured water quality of surface and groundwater. Keeping out point pollutants and the
Good practices as key to sustainable use of plant protection products Read More »
Irrigation has been indispensable for decades for the production of vegetables, potato and also fodder crops in the Kempen-Maasland project region. In the municipalities of Maaseik and Kinrooi, irrigation water can be tapped from the CIRO irrigation network. Elsewhere, it is mainly pumped from drilled wells that draw water from the Maas system. In efficient irrigation, the irrigation dose is matched to the needs of
Optimising water use efficiency with intelligent irrigation control Read More »
Measuring is knowing in pig farming and that certainly applies to carcass quality too. Today, carcass quality is expressed in percentage of lean meat and conformation. To determine this slaughter quality, various measuring devices are known, ranging from the well-known pricking devices to modern automated devices based on sound waves. By measuring large quantities of pigs and using the formulas
Technical Benchmarking of fattening pigs Read More »
The aim of this project is to raise awareness among livestock farmers on the importance of using quality drinking water for animals through demonstration and sensitisation. In addition, as part of this project, livestock farmers will also be provided with a set of tools that they can work with to assess whether
Good drinking water, the invisible gold on a livestock farm Read More »
Situation project From the late 1990s, there has been an overall decline in the organic matter content of agricultural land in Flanders. Especially the Haspengouw arable plots are characterised by low organic matter content. In the municipalities of Borgloon (68%), Gingelom (50%), Heers (80%), Riemst (56%), Sint-Truiden (50%) and Tongeren (59%), the carbon content is below the target zone on a
Thick fraction as boost to organic matter Read More »
Using fuel responsibly is not just an environmental responsibility. It also has economic consequences. Fuel is often not handled with sufficient thought. For instance, idling hours should be limited as much as possible and machines should be handled smartly by working on the right adjustment. Driver behaviour also plays a role.
Tuberous cyperus is a weedy plant that can dominate agricultural crops after several years. It reproduces at high speed through shoots and tubers and can cause a yield loss of 8 % in maize at moderate tuber cyperus pressure. Eradication is considered laborious and costly as the shoots and tubers are hardy. Therefore, it is
Inventory - prevention by new technology and control of tuber cyperus Read More »
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF for short) stands for real-time and continuous fully automated monitoring and management of animals through modern technology (sound analysis in this case). The technology that was scientifically first developed in insects, mussels and fish and later applied to farm animals has become a global trend in livestock farming. Main purpose of
Health monitoring via sound technology in fattening pigs Read More »
From an economic point of view, pig farming remains an important sector within Flemish agriculture and horticulture. However, margins have been under severe pressure for several years, requiring farms to continuously improve their performance. Correct recording and interpretation of the technical and economic key figures is therefore essential for every pig farm in the short and (medium) long term.
With electronic identification towards individual animal monitoring in pig farming Read More »