The need for new, innovative techniques to reduce nitrogen emissions in agriculture is great. However, the number of new techniques being put into practice and recognised is limited and Boerenbond wants to change that. Following a call for projects, Boerenbond selected six innovative projects, including the sensor measurement system and feeding trials for pigs by Animal Welfare Solutions, the Agriculture Trial and Training Centre and Aveve Biochem. The project will receive support from Boerenbond for the next two years to test and further develop its technology in practice.
"We want to enable farmers to meet nitrogen targets in a feasible and affordable way. For this, it is also important that new, recognised techniques that reduce nitrogen come onto the market. The selected projects are all promising and represent solutions for different sectors," Lode Ceyssens, president of Boerenbond, echoed.
In Flanders today, there is too little equipment to conduct proper research on reducing emissions in pigs. Animal Welfare Solutions from Paal, the trial and training centre (PVL) in Bocholt and Aveve Biochem are therefore focusing on developing a new barn technology. Their measurement system uses sensors to record ammonia, CO2, temperature, humidity, light and animal activity. By measuring at different peaks, the system can show where and why ammonia is generated. After installing the equipment, researchers plan to test out special feeds for pigs and see how well these feeds manage to reduce ammonia emissions. The installation of, and testing of the measurement technology, will take place in the pilot houses of PVL.
Sander Palmans: "The innovation support from Farmers' Union mainly helps us to realise the start-up of our sensor-based measurement system and get our system on point. This allows us to be available to the pig industry in the long term and test new/innovative measures at field level."
More information on the projects can be found on the website: www.boerenbond.be/innovatiesteun
