Revolutionizing Dairy Farming: The Digital Twin Initiative

Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have unveiled the world’s first 'digital twin' for dairy farming, called 'farm-twin'. This innovative platform combines live data and artificial intelligence to anticipate and prevent potential problems on farms.

Developed at SRUC’s Dairy Research Centre near Dumfries, 'farm-twin' promises to transform dairy farm management by integrating real-time data streams into user-friendly dashboards. This not only provides farmers with comprehensive operational insights but also supports predictive analytics to address health issues and productivity lapses early.

The project, funded by the Digital Dairy Chain under SRUC’s UKRI Strength in Places programme, showcases the power of digital twins — virtual replicas of farm systems built using data from various sensors and digital tools.

Dr. Mazdak Salavati, data scientist at SRUC, emphasizes the significance of unifying disconnected data to uncover essential insights, a major barrier for on-farm digital innovation that farm-twin adeptly addresses. The platform also simulates different farm conditions, guiding farmers through data-driven decisions to enhance efficiency and animal welfare.

Dr. Matt Broadbent highlights the open-source nature of the project, promoting collaboration and industry-wide adoption. Farm-twin is scalable for diverse farm sizes, integrating older systems and historic data, and adaptable to emerging technologies.

Professor Wayne Powell, principal and chief executive of SRUC, states: “With innovations like farm-twin, we are transforming dairy production systems and positioning the sector as a global leader in sustainable, data-driven agriculture.” This platform supports entrepreneurship, market opportunities, and equips the workforce with essential digital skills, steering towards a sustainable agricultural future.