CASE STUDY #1: DPI FEED CALCULATORS
The Challenge:
Matching animal nutrition with feeds is a complex task. Livestock nutritional needs vary according to age, weight, pregnancy and lactation. Pasture and feed options vary greatly in nutritional value and price. Develop solution which is practical, simple and easy for farmers to use while making drought and supplementary feed decisions.
The Approach:
DPI’s Specialist team, nutrition experts Dr Hutton Oddy and Dr Ed Clayton and development officers Geoff Casburn and Patricia O'Keeffe combine DPI’s years of experience in nutrition, drought research and grazing management with farmer experience and consultation. The team examined mobile platforms for enabling decisions in the paddocks and the silos.
The Outcomes:
2014 the Drought Feed Calculator (DFC) App created. 20,000 downloads Widely used, positive feedback, need for increased functionality.
2019 Drought and Supplementary Feed Calculator (DASFC) App and Web applications released. 1500 downloads to date.
The app is free to Australian sheep and cattle producers to develop feed rations during drought and dry seasons. But it can be also used for feed management all year round. The DPC has been downloaded in countries including the USA, China and India.
DPI is examining opportunities to expand and tailor the app for international users.
The Impact:
The app consolidates and translates animal nutrition research advice at point of sale. The App’s have been downloaded over 20,000 times. 68% of users surveyed agreeing or strongly agreeing it saved time and enabled the effective comparison of feeds.