Application of Radio Frequency Identif i cation (RFID)in Dairy Information Management

Wu Hong-da

Animal Husbandry Research Center, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China

Introduction

RFID is a non-contacting automatic identification technology. For its transmission characteristics of radio frequency signal and the spatial coupling(inductive or electromagnetic coupling), automatic identification of objects is realized (Xiong and Xiang,2008). Now it is widely used in modern, largescale cultivation industry. The dairy information management system by RFID includes three parts:electronic identification tag that is fixed in individual dairy cow (Tag), readers that are hand-held or placed in the milking parlor and placed in import and export of barns (Reader), and computer management platform that is connected with the reader and milk metering device. When dairy cows with electronic identification tag that are milking or passing in or out of the barn go into the reader identifying scope, readers will automatically read out the identification information of electronic tag by non-contact mode, and the function of automatically identifying objects or automatically collecting information is realized (Tan et al., 2007).

On the large scale cow farm, strict breeding management and a high level of individual dairy production, the use of RFID technology-based management systems, can easily solve many problems that traditional management encounters, such as difficulty in distinguishing cows' marks, low-resolution efficiency, high error rate; frequent individual flow,large data, inconvenient record and analysis treatment;susceptible to diseases such as mastitis and foot limb are difficult to control and detect, and many other shortcomings. With the development of the RFID-based management system, to meet the operators'modern management requirements for fine, timeliness,accuracy, intelligence of cattle, we could control production level and individual health status of dairy cow completely by integrating and analyzing the data of dairy cows' production and progression, chemical indicators of milk to reflect the whole production state of cattle farm and give warning of potential problems.

Application in Dairy Cattle Cultivation and Management Through Management System Based on the RFID

Creating electronic fi les by computer management system

For the radio frequency chip of the electronic identification tag of dairy cow is one-time packaged and closed completely, the data in chip is permanent,not easy to destroy or tamper, and that the way in which information stored is strictly accordance with the International Organization for Standardization(ISO)standards to encode uniformly ensures its uniqueness in the world (Liu et al., 2006). The security and uniqueness of electronic identification tag provide us to create safe, reliable, detailed and accurate electronic records for each cow, and through the ancillary computer management program, we could store a variety of dynamic data correspondingly that update real-time, and then a dynamic database of individual cow forms which provide an accurate reference for managers.

Real-time monitoring and data acquisition of dairy cows

The management system based on the RFID through the real-time data exchanging between the electronic tags and readers could identify and record the weight,feed intake, physical activity and milk yield of each archived dairy cows, physical and chemical indicators of milk and other valuable data dynamically, through which we can analyze the changes and monitor the growth trend of dairy cows. Computer software packages will automatically analyze and deal the data that collect from each dairy cow, and compare with the standard data of the dairy cow' growth stage. Once the data exceed the health warning line given by computer data system, management system would identify automatically and create report and feed back to the manager in time, so as to check cattle targeted and adjust the feed structure and supply.

Tracking and tracing, disease prevention and control of dairy cows

We could realize tracking and tracing of individual cow with corresponding labels through the whole recording process by the unique coding and reliable information of the electronic identification tags(Joanette, 2002; Philips, 2004; Liddell and Bailey,2001). The flowing process of dairy cows in dairy farm, even each transaction in the market would be recorded into its individual electronic files. When the disease is discovered in some links, we can retrospect to the entire process of distribution quickly, analyze the suspected source of the disease and make decisions in time, and reduce economic loss and adverse effects as possible as we can. Through the network platform of the system, we can report the unexpected incidents to the higher-up, in order to provide the government and research institutes with the accurate and detailed references at first time. The traceable function of the system provides technical supports for governments'granting subsidies, corporations' avoiding risk, dairy cattle' implementing insurance, and farmers' identifying economic disputes.

Equipping modules to extend functions by system platform

The emergence of the RFID promises so many intelligent and automatic systems to be applied widely in the dairy industry. The precise dairy feeding system based on the RFID can record each dairy cow's body condition, movement, feeding and other routine data by sensors. Combining with the temperature and humidity environ-ment in cattle farm and comparing with the standard requirement on the phase in database, the forage and ratio of roughage and forage can be calculated, and feed back to module which can give the accurate feeding, so sub-grouping feeding can be achieved to maximize efficiency and reduce waste (Liu et al., 2005).

When the module of milk component analysis and testing is loaded on the system platform, output,milk efficiency, milk protein, milk fat, lactose and somatic cell count of each dairy cow's frequency can be measured accurately, then the data recorded can be analyzed and compared with each other, so the changes in production performance of dairy cows can be found timely and accurately, meanwhile, whether the nutrition of feeding is balanced and the breast is healthy or not can be acquainted.

When the controlling module of milking platform is loaded on the system platform, the milking situation of each frequency in milking hall can be recorded,including the milk time of each cow, the milk flow rate, the detach situation (including irregular take off/kick off/auto detach), equipment status and so on, from which we could understand operators' normative and proficiency level in the milking process. The milking workers can give information to managers through the control panel when disease of leg, foot or breast is found in milking process.

Problems and Shortcomings in Management System of Radio Frequency of Dairy Cows in Use

lmperfect informational platform

To fully exert the functional advantages of RFID in the dairy industry, the information integrated platform that is of a high degree, a wide range, covered lots of participants, the whole link concerned, strict regulated by government, and covers production, processing, distribution, marketing, testing and other fields is necessary to be established. Only its basic functions, not the core advantage will develop if RFID technology is used in a separate cattle farm or an enterprise. Although China has done a lot of work in this facet, it can not meet the need of the development requirement of dairy and livestock markets. At the national level, there is no comprehensive data platform, no communication and sharing of resources in the relevant functional department or no standard uniform for primary users, these problems are needed to be solved in the future.

Several technical links needed to be solved urgently

The RFID has obvious advantages, but it also has some objective factors that influence its further extension and application, including the high cost of use, more strict environment requirements and defects of tags.

The price of electronic tags, matching identification equipments and software systems determine the degree of popularization and application of the RFID technology (Zhang et al., 2007). To realize a tag for a cow and data sharing in the large-scale dairy industry,depressing the prices is the first-line objective.

Limited by frequency of data transmission and design of time sequence identifying, the accurate identification of long distance and simultaneous identification of targets are needed to be researched and improved further. Now correct identification and real-time acquisition are completed through controlling routes and passing numbers of dairy cows.

There are significant advantages and disadvantages of different types of tags in the tag design. Feet and ear tags are easy and intuitive to use, but vulnerable feet with tags are apt to injure, and ear tags easily drop.Tags of injection and rumen are high destructiveresistant ability and good security, but relatively complex and difficult to indentify. Therefore, we should scientifically choose the proper type of tags according to the purpose and condition of use.

High requests for operators' computer skills and data interpretation capabilities

That elaborating function through the interaction of electronic equipment and computer software relying on the RFID requires the users not only can use computer and management software proficiently,understand working principle of each part, grasp installation and operation of each module, but also understand the meaning of the data that is collected by system, analyze and determine the real problems reflected by the data scientifically.

For example, in the determination of estrus monitor,the management system determines whether the dairy cow estrus according to the steps of dairy cows and changes of milk production, but the situation of stadium, such as unflat ground, accumulation of ice and faeces, or interference from outside, such as people driving, rain and snow wind, will affect the accuracy of data collection system. Therefore, when we use the data, we should consider more specific factors and analyze comprehensively to determine,do not simply rely on computer instead of the human brain, or the data instead of the experience.

At present, in the dairy farming industry of China,the relative low education level of operators, low degree of information on dairy farms, and those who understand the computer do not understand farming,and understand farming do not understand managemen are the important factors that restrict the technology from exerting its function.

Several Suggestions for the RFID Technology in Dairy Industry

The constant improvement of intensive and dairy farming scale in China has laid a good foundation for popularization and application of the RFID, and the importance and urgency of the technology to improve the safety of animal products are now promoting it to elaborate function in production management as soon as possible. We should avoid weakness, utilize actual conditions and promote the cow information management down practically and effectively.

Firstly, government should promote the population and application of the RFID as an industry, combine with the construction of information technology,establish and improve a digital platform which is standard, clear frame, link closely and transparent information. On this basis, municipal areas and large leading enter-prises could connect with it, complete the information exchange and data sharing. Secondly,in the practice and popularization of the RFID, we should first consider excellent provenances and safe zones without disease, focus on scientific research units, import and export of products related, and gradually promote the technology stage by stage, step by step after the perfection of it. Finally, governments,the relevant functional departments and research units,should support the grassroot practitioners with operation training and technical guidance, from different directions and batches, to form solutions for normal questions, train grassroots technology backbone, and exert and utilize the function of the RFID completely.

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