Evaluation of JTI's R&D Activities 2005–2008 - Formas

The work focuses on developing production systems to improve
the welfare (health and behaviour) of livestock, to
optimise system solutions for livestock husbandry also with
regard to working environment and the external environment,
and to develop systems for sustainable utilisation of
plant nutrients in organic manures. JTI is also focusing on
the hygienic quality of milk raw material. In 2003, JTI invested
in a test facility which was installed directly adjacent to
a milking parlour, where it is possible to study the influence
of the washing-up process on the hygienic quality of the milk
raw material, make tests on washing-up liquids, and develop
sensors for milk production.
Systems for rational and environmentally correct management
of farmyard manure are a traditional field for JTI. The
focus today is to minimise the loss of plant nutrients, e.g. in
the form of ammonia emissions, and to achieve a high utilisation
of plant nutrients. JTI is therefore engaged on determining
the nutrient content of chicken manure at various producers,
developing a shallow injection tine, with little need
for traction, for liquid manure, and developing a strategy for
the management of green manure leys.
During the next programme period we will strengthen our
position concerning livestock husbandry outdoors, issues to
do with farmyard manure for units of increasing size, and returning
plant nutrients from the community to agriculture.
Health and safety in agriculture
Working environmental conditions (health and safety) in the
fields of agricultural engineering and environmental technology
must be improved, but for a long time they have had low
priority. At present and in the future, it will become more
and more difficult to attract labour to agriculture, and this
is therefore a very important issue. Issues to do with labour
organisation will also be increasingly important as the size of
farms increases. At present, JTI is conducting research in the
principal areas working environment in driver's cabs, climatic
ergonomics, noise in agriculture and screening of working
environment in agriculture (WEST method – Working
Environment Screening Tool). The WEST method has great
potential for JTI since there is no other similar scientific
method available for agriculture. JTI has started to adapt the
method to agriculture, since it was developed for the engineering
industry. The method has been found very easy to use
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