Pictured are overall winners Ozolea, Andrea Bignotti and Elisa Tavilli receiving their prize from Tom McCathy, AXA Farm Insurance
The National Dairy Innovation Award competition this year saw a broad entry of different agricultural products and innovations that can help change the face of farming.
All trade stand exhibitors at the National Dairy Show were eligible to enter the competition.
Judging of the finalists was completed at the show on Friday, with a prizegiving ceremony that evening.
The judges for each section come from agri-businesses and are experts in their respective fields.
Here are the winners for 2023 for each category:
Technology winners:
1st: Moonsyst
The Artificial Intelligence for Artificial Insemination, AI4AI bolus sits in the stomach of the cow and detects body temperature, overall activity and water intake
The bolus uses these parameters while also taking into account the previous date of relevance such as a previous heat.
Through artificial intelligence modelling, the bolus will then generate a ‘heat alert’ that is sent straight to the farmer’s phone and provides an optimal 10-hour window for insemination.
2nd: True north
The E-Gate Grazing Management System has the ability to save every dairy farmer in the county between 100 – 200 hours of labour annually.
More than just a gate opening device, the E- Gate can be controlled and monitored from anywhere in the world via the E-Gatesmart phone app.
Using proven technology, the E-Gate reads a range of environmental and device factors: including the fence strength; if the gate is open or closed; the device’s location; temperature and rainfall
This data is reported back to the farmer’s phone in real-time informing them of what is happening on the ground and help them to make an informed decision on whether or not to let cows out.
Engineering winners
1st: Nesty
The Mini Moo milk vending machine is the only Irish designed innovative solution to the growing demand for direct milk sales in Ireland and worldwide.
The Mini Moo allows the farmer to achieve up to five times the price for their milk and allows the customers to taste nutritious milk with up to five different flavours.
Using the latest world-leading sensors and touch screen technology the machine is able to allow a seamless transaction for all ages.
2nd: Connaught Agri
The Solar Hybrid AC/ DC combination water boiler provides year-round hot water through the use of solar power.
Power consumption is only half that of the traditional electrical water heater when only using grid power.
This is the first combined Hybrid Solar PV/DC water heater in the world and does not require an inverter, batteries or any other equipment.
The water boiler functions like a thermal battery storing energy throughout the night and remains hot for at least 24 hrs.
Best start up
Spread it
Spreadit is an attachment that is retrofitted to a dribble or trailing shoe system either on a tanker or umbilical trailing hose system.
These are used in the application of liquid organic manure (slurry) or digestate to grassland, grazing and silage fields as well as tillage enterprises for the production of crops etc.
The award-winning patented kit has been designed to be fitted to either a dribble bar or trailing shoe in minutes.
Science
1st: Ozolea
OZOLEA-MAST supports tissue functionality by creating a film barrier in contact with the inner wall of the teat canal, allowing the tissue to proceed with autonomous regeneration.
It helps to intervene at early signs detectable through milk observation at forestrip, reduce chronically high somatic cell count (SCC) values and implement a selective dry cow procedure.
The main benefits are reduced milk loss, antibiotics use, and occurrence of clinical mastitis cases; increased cow longevity and more sustainable milk production.
2nd: Precision Microbes
Precision Microbes’ Liquid Pro Postbiotic for calves is the first product of its type globally for calves.
The innovation is around the ability to have live beneficial micro-organisms in a liquid using acid-adapted technology.
At higher doses, it can be used to help calves recover from diarrhoea, reducing the use and need for antibiotics.
It can also be fed daily from birth to weaning to support gut health and the calf gut microbiome.
Sustainability
1st: DLF
DLF’s Ecotain Environmental Plantain combines four modes of action that work together to significantly reduce nitrate leaching from the ruminant urine patch – up to 89% depending on sward blend.
Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for agricultural systems but when excess N escapes this system it becomes a problem for the environment.
Nitrogen is a major pollutant coming from agriculture, especially N2O gas to the atmosphere and nitrate to waterways.
2nd: Grassland Agro
Cloverboost NK is a granular fertiliser designed specifically to match the unique requirements of the clover plant during its growing season.
It contains a low nitrogen content to promote clover establishment with potassium for stolon development.
In addition, it includes boron for nitrogen fixation and magnesium for the survival of nitrogen fixing bacteria.
The product’s sodium content helps white clover establishment and sulphur for increased nitrogen uptake, fixation and conversion to true protein.
Overall winner
Ozolea
OZOLEA-MAST supports tissue functionality by creating a film barrier in contact with the inner wall of the teat canal, allowing the tissue to proceed with autonomous regeneration.
It helps to intervene at early signs detectable through milk observation at forestrip, reduce chronically high somatic cell count (SCC) values and implement a selective dry cow procedure.
The main benefits are reduced milk loss, antibiotics use, and occurrence of clinical mastitis cases; increased cow longevity and more sustainable milk production.
