Conference to Feature Dairy Innovations
February 16, 2010 - News Release
Dairy researchers, producers and industry leaders from around the world - including many from the University of Guelph - will gather in Toronto for the first North American Conference on Precision Dairy Management March 2 to 5.
The event aims to revolutionize the dairy industry, highlighting technologies such as robotic milking equipment and sensor-based tools to improve cow health, welfare and productivity. The conference will focus on innovative ways for robotic equipment to meet human and animal needs on the farm.
U of G is a founding partner for the conference. Faculty members on the organizing committee include Prof. Vern Osborne, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, and Prof. Ken Leslie, Department of Population Medicine.
“This is a huge opportunity to bring the people behind the best precision-management technology in the world to Ontario,” Leslie said.
Presenters at the conference include Prof. David Kelton of the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Kelton will be talking about how his research team identified the harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in milk produced in Ontario using a novel application of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mastitis testing system developed in Finland. PCR works by multiplying segments of bacterial DNA present in the milk sample to make it easier to detect the organism. This is important because Staphylococcus aureus can cause chronic, clinical and subclinical mastitis, an inflammation of the cow’s udder that decreases milk production and adversely affects milk quality.
Other University of Guelph presenters include Prof. Trevor DeVries of the Kemptville Campus, Prof. Stephen LeBlanc of the Department of Population Medicine, and OVC researchers Cindy Todd, Kimberly Painter and Nuria Chapinal.
For media questions, Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, Ext. 53338, lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982, d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca
