Earth Precision Agriculture
August 10-14, Calgary, Canada
Precision Livestock Farming Conference
Join global experts at the Earth Precision Agriculture Conference 2026 to explore cutting-edge technologies in animal welfare, robotics, and environmental stewardship.
About this conference track
The Precision Livestock Farming Conference at EPA 2026 explores how sensing, data analytics, robotics, and AI are transforming livestock management. Held in Calgary, Canada, this track brings together researchers in animal science, agricultural engineering, veterinary science, and data science to advance animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and sustainable production.
This special track provides a rigorous and welcoming platform for researchers to share cutting-edge contributions across the full spectrum of technological and scientific research that drives innovation in modern livestock agriculture. We convene experts working in animal science, agricultural engineering, veterinary science, data science, and field-based studies. The track emphasizes how these complementary, multi-disciplinary approaches collectively generate richer, more actionable insights into animal function, welfare, and performance.
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Key Research Topics
We invite submissions that explore a wide range of research in Precision Livestock Farming, including but not limited to:
Sensing, Monitoring, and Data Acquisition
- Wearable and Implantable Sensors: Novel ear tags, collars, boluses, and leg tags to track activity, rumination, temperature, and location for early disease and lameness detection.
- Vision- and Sound-Based Systems: Cameras and microphones to automatically monitor gait, body condition, aggression, coughing, and distress.
- Environmental Sensing: Monitoring temperature, humidity, gases, and airflow in barns to manage heat stress and air quality, improving welfare and productivity.
Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Decision Support
- Integrated Farm Dashboards: Systems that combine animal, environment, and production data for real-time decisions on feeding, health checks, grouping, and culling.
- Farm-Wide Data Platforms: Ingesting sensor, milking, feeding, and financial data to generate actionable KPIs and alerts (e.g., heat detection, calving risk, ration performance).
- AI Models for Optimization: Artificial Intelligence models to predict disease risk, optimize breeding, and support precision feeding and grazing plans, reducing input use per unit of product.
Robotics and Automation
- Automated Milking Systems: Robotic milking parlors identify cows, attach milking units, record yield and milk quality, and schedule milking based on individual needs, while reducing labor and standardizing routines.
- Automated Feeding Systems: Robotic feeders or feed pushers deliver precise rations at set times or on-demand, adjust feeding based on intake data, and reduce feed waste while ensuring consistent access to feed.
- Manure Scraping and Cleaning Robots: Floor-scraping or vacuum-type robots automatically remove manure and slurry from alleys and cubicles, improving hygiene, reducing disease risk, and lowering manual cleaning effort.
- Automated Weighing and Sorting: Walk-over scales and sorting gates automatically record live weight and body condition and direct animals into specific pens (e.g., by weight or health status) without extra handling.
- Barn Service and Inspection Robots: Mobile robots move through pens or alleys to inspect animals and infrastructure, collect images or sensor data, and alert staff to issues in areas that are hard to reach or monitor continuously.
- Robotic Bedding and Grooming Systems: Automated bedding dispensers and cow brushes maintain lying comfort and cleanliness, improving welfare while decreasing the time needed for routine maintenance tasks.
- Integrated Cyber-Physical Systems: Robotics are linked with sensors, farm management software, and decision-support tools so that every robotic task (milking, feeding, cleaning) both uses and generates data for optimization and early problem detection.
Precision Feeding and Nutrition
- Individualized Rations: Precision feeding systems that individually tailor rations based on intake, performance, and health data to cut waste, nitrogen losses, and feed costs.
- Novel Feed Ingredients: Research on insect meal, algae, and alternative plant proteins to reduce reliance on soy and maize and shrink land and water footprints.
- Methane Reduction: Feed additives and new products designed to reduce methane output from ruminants and improve feed conversion efficiency.
Animal Health, Welfare, and Behavior
- Digital Health Management: Electronic IDs linked to lifetime health, treatment, and welfare records to support certification and market access.
- Welfare-by-Design Approaches: Engineering housing, handling, and monitoring systems to explicitly support natural behaviors and reduce stress.
Housing Environment and Management
- Barn Microclimate: Sensors and control algorithms to monitor and adjust temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and radiation around animals to prevent heat or cold stress and optimize productivity.
- Air Quality and Emissions: PLF systems monitoring gases such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and dust/particles in barns for animal health/welfare, environmental impact, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
- Ventilation, Heating, and Cooling Control: "Smart barn" systems integrating sensors with automated fans, inlets, heaters, and cooling to maintain target conditions in confined housing, often in real time.
- Animal–Environment Interaction and Welfare: Cameras, microphones, and behavior/position tracking to assess animal distribution, detect discomfort or crowding, and relate behavior and health outcomes to specific housing conditions.
- Monitoring of Housing-Related Resources: PLF tools tracking water, feed access, and bedding/lying area use inside housing to support welfare and efficiency objectives.
Sustainable Grazing and Land Management
- Virtual Fencing: GPS-enabled collars to control grazing without physical fences, support adaptive/rotational grazing, and protect sensitive areas.
- Smart Grazing Management Software: Utilizing IoT sensors, drones, and pasture/soil data to avoid overgrazing and match stocking rate to forage supply.
Genetics and Breeding for Sustainability
- Genomic Selection: Advanced breeding tools focused on disease resistance, feed efficiency, fertility, robustness, and lower emissions per unit of product.
Traceability, Sustainability Reporting, and Social License
- End-to-End Traceability: Using EID, blockchain, or similar systems linking farm data to processors and retailers to meet audit and certification demands.
- Sustainability Metrics Integration: Carbon footprint, water use, and welfare indicators integrated into routine farm reporting to access premiums and comply with regulation.
- Communication Tools: Tools that help communicate verified welfare and environmental performance to consumers and regulators, supporting the long-term social license of livestock production.
Dr. Isabella Condotta
Assistant Professor
Department of Animal Sciences and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
University of Illinois
Dr. Dan Tulpan
Associate Professor
Department of Animal Biosciences
Ontario Agricultural College
University of Guelph
Dr. Dongyi Wang
Assistant Professor
Department of Food Science
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
University of Arkansas
Dr. Farhad Maleki
Director
Centre for Precision Agriculture
University of Calgary