Disease-detecting tool could be in livestock producers’ hands by next year

Aug 14, 2017

Researchers from the University of Guelph developed the tool

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

A hand-held device capable of quickly identifying livestock diseases could be in the hands of Ontario producers next year, according to one of the instrument’s creators.

“We’ve been negotiating with some manufacturing companies who are major players in this area,” Suresh Neethirajan, a University of Guelph engineering professor and director of the school’s BioNano Laboratory, told Farms.com. “Hopefully in a year or so farmers can see the product available.”

In May, his team received a US$125,000 award to conduct field trials with the device, which is an improvement on current livestock testing methods.

And field tests showed farmers are encouraged by the tool’s potential.

“It drastically brings down the time and cost to receive results,” he said. “Right now, multiple vials of blood (each containing between 5 and 10 mL) need to be shipped from farms to a centralized lab. There are also shipping costs and refrigeration costs involved.

“And if the farm is in northern Ontario, there can be an even further delay to finding out the results.”

Prof. Suresh Neethirajan, left, and researcher Xuan Weng with the allergen detector.
Photo: University of Guelph

The device detects ketosis and other metabolic diseases in cows. It works similarly to how people with diabetes check their blood sugar levels, Neethirajan said.

A droplet of blood is placed on a cartridge and, after about 15 seconds, the cartridge is placed in a reader. Farmers can have results in around two minutes. The reader can identify specific biomarkers within the animal.

And more optimization will help farmers and their livestock teams manage herd health in a timelier manner.

“We’re looking at if we can identify multiple diseases from one droplet of blood,” Neethirajan said. “We’re also looking at if we can send the data in real time and incorporating Bluetooth technology so that a veterinarian can receive the information instantly.”

Further plans for optimization include sending the data to feeding systems to allow feed intake to be tailored for the animal’s specific needs and improving the device to detect bovine respiratory illnesses.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.