Using precision technologies, technology platforms and computational biology to increase the economic and environmental sustainability of pasture based production systems. PRECISIONDAIRY will develop a prototype platform that combines the disciplines of sensor/biosensor development, communication standards and database design with modellers, existing databases and mathematicians with the objective of increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of Irish pasture based dairy farms. This study will combine skill sets of a whole range of scientists of inter related disciplines to develop a prototype platform which combines the most advanced technologies around "sensors/biosensors" and communication to capture data at farm level, this study then uses the most advanced "computation biology" and mathematical modelling techniques to evaluate long term trends as well as establishing short term decision support for Irish dairy farmers. Therefore this study will use "sensors and biosensors" to capture data at farm level. It will use ICT to develop communication platforms to transfer the data to a central database. It will then seek to merge existing animal (ICBF) and grassland databases (PastureBase Ireland) with the sensor based database to form a centralised database that creates "big data". This data will then be interogated using advanced statistical and "computational biology" based techniques to determine relationships and trends. This information will be linked with existing and newly developed system biology models through PastureBase Ireland using the most advanced techniques (machine learning) to provide real time information to the end user using a number of differing ICT based medium. The first joint Science Foundation Ireland/Teagasc themed research funding call, ‘Future Agri-Food’ awarded €2.5 million to two research projects. One project is: ‘Using precision technologies, technology platforms and computational biology to increase the economic and environmental sustainability of pasture based production systems’ is led by Dr Laurence Shalloo, Teagasc, in collaboration with Dr William Donnelly of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). The research focuses on the use of information and communication technologies for agriculture, often referred to as smart agriculture or e-agriculture. Dr Shalloo and Dr Donnelly’s research focuses on the use of information and communication technologies for agriculture, often referred to as smart agriculture or e-agriculture. Smart-agri is critically important due to increasing herd size, requirement for increased efficiency, public concern for animal well-being and environmental sustainability. Some smart-agri applications are already in place such as milk recording; others are in development, such as real-time information on stomach activity in cows. The proposed research focusses on using information from grass and animal sensors to deliver effective farm management information. This approach will enable more efficient farming, will grow a new e-agri industry in Ireland, and will help realise the Food Harvest 2020 targets. Awards programme: Principal Investigator Programme Industry sector: Agrifood, software and other computer services Scientific category: Agriculture Press release: http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2014/201404-30a.asp Press release: http://www.teagasc.ie/news/2014/201409-26.asp News article (Irish Times): http://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/teagasc-bringing-precision-to-agriculture-1.1959208