Disruptive data
Last year was a big year for Agri Data Analytics. In September, just eight months after its establishment, the company won the AgTechUCD Start-Up Award at Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena at the 2023 National Ploughing Championships. The win secured a place for the company on the 12-week AgTechUCD Agccelerator Programme held at UCD Lyons Farm, which it completed earlier this year.
Alan O’Donovan, co-founder – alongside Jack Pilkington, CEO – and chief technical officer explained the impact of that win: “Not only was it pivotal in the progress of our company, but the subsequent exposure and company validation was immense, opening several new doors for us within the agri-tech sector and acting as a catalyst for brand growth and product awareness among the wider agri-industry and in our local and regional community.” This has led to the completion of phases two and three of Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme; winning the Best Agritech Hardware Product 2023 Award at the FBD Better Farming Awards; winning a Bronze Award in the Emerge-Tech Category of the National Start-up Awards; being named in Spark Crowdfunding’s Top 100 Most Ambitious Companies in Ireland 2024; and currently participating in this year’s Prep4Seed Investor Readiness programme, delivered by the Irish Business Innovation Centres in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.
Turning heads
OK, deep breath after that. So, the company is clearly turning heads, but why? Well, it has developed the Bovine Breathalyser, a non-invasive device that measures enteric greenhouse gas emissions from ruminant animals. “Or in simpler terms, our device measures how much methane and CO2 cattle excrete from their mouths through belches and exhaled breath,” says Alan.
He continues: “We do this by enticing the animal into a feeding tray area with bait feed, which is dispensed for them when in proximity to the device. As the animal starts eating, we begin to draw the air from the feeding tray area into our system where samples of the cow’s exhaled breath are captured and processed using specialised gas sensors that can accurately determine the concentration of methane and CO2 present. After an adequate amount of testing on a herd has taken place, we can analyse all the emissions data along with many performance and health parameters to determine the grammes per day of methane and CO2 that any one particular animal has emitted.”
We already know, however, that livestock emit enteric methane and CO2 in much greater quantites than is ideal, so what does having this precise data achieve? Alan explains that he and Jack discovered that there was a lack of adequate equipment on the market to allow for sufficient testing at scale to take place, which would enable researchers to effect change and start meaningfully reducing said quantities. Alan explains in more detail: “With enteric fermentation accounting for about 23 per cent of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions and methane having a 28 times greater global-warming potential than carbon dioxide, even the slightest reductions to ruminant methane emissions will have a significant impact on Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions output.
“To put this into perspective, your average car produces 4.6 tonnes (t) of CO2 equivalent gas per year while a typical cow is estimated to produce 5.3t of CO2 equivalent gas per year and researchers predict through genetic optimisation alone, ruminant methane emissions can be reduced by as much as 20 per cent."
Alan continues: “The issue agri-research bodies currently face that prevents them from following through on these targets is the lack of adequate equipment on the market to allow for sufficient testing at scale to take place. We aim to satisfy both the hardware and software aspects of this market with the Bovine Breathalyser, which will measure enteric emissions while an animal is eating, and our accompanying data platform, where researchers will have access to the information they require in order to conduct studies at scale and find analytical, data-focused solutions to the climate crisis.”
Early days
Alan says that the scale and frequency of testing that Agri Data Analytics intends to undertake has yet to be achieved in this space, and with enteric emissions accounting for around 95 per cent of a bovine animal’s yearly methane and CO2 output, it’s no surprise that there is a certain degree of anticipation surrounding the development and rollout of the Bovine Breathalyser among the agri-research community. The device, he clarifies, is not aimed at the average farmer. Instead, it is aimed at agri-research and advisory authorities like the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), Teagasc, AgTech UCD and so on, all of whom are focused on the singular goal of reducing bovine methane emissions through genetic, dietary and supplementary means. He says that Ireland is leading the way in terms of ruminant methane testing, making this market an obvious point of particular focus for the company and a good launchpad for other European countries. “On a global scale, the other key markets we have set out to grow into are New Zealand, Australia and the UK, before moving across the EU, and, eventually, on to Argentina and the US," says Alan.
FROM CRITICISM TO CONFIDENCE
Developing a device for measuring methane emissions from cattle does not come without criticism from the farming community, for obvious reasons, Alan says. But he quickly adds that these criticisms are often quickly replaced with votes of confidence and encouragement when it is understood what exactly he and Jack are trying to achieve.
“The farming community is being demonised now more than ever for the supposed grave impact agriculture is reaping on our environment and it is inevitably affecting the average farmer’s bottom line.
“With the Bovine Breathalyser, we intend to establish to what degree do bovine animals contribute to Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions output and if livestock are being disproportionately blamed for the global climate crisis,” he explains.
From there, researchers will use the device to progressively optimise animals. Alan explains that they will do this primarily through breeding and supplementation, improving yield while reducing greenhouse gas output. “This can help create future generations of high-yielding, low-emitting animals with optimised dietary guidelines that help farmers save on feed costs and a reduced age of slaughter for cattle across the board,” adds Alan.
Plans for the future
After a whirlwind year one, year two for Agri Data Analytics brings with it the primary objective of having a completed minimum viable product (MVP) ready for on-farm testing in June, and a market-ready device for late 2024, or early 2025. The June deadline is critical as the company plans to showcase the product at the largest agricultural event in the southern hemisphere, Fieldays. New Zealand is a key market for Agri Data Analytics with New Zealand being a leader in the bovine-emissions testing space, explains Alan.
“Our MVP development plan will fall in line with Fieldays in New Zealand where we plan to display in the Innovation Hub and participate in the Innovation Awards there. This market research and networking trip will provide us with good guidance on our approach towards the New Zealand market and will give us an opportunity to foster connections within agriculture in the southern hemisphere.”
Rooted in agri-tech
Agri Data Analytics is one of a growing number of Irish companies addressing problems in the agri-sector with innovative solutions and Alan believes that agri-tech is the solution to the emissions dilemma.
“Agriculture is rapidly entering a period of turbulence fueled by the ongoing macroeconomic dilemma of trying to provide food for a growing world population while also trying to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. How can one be achieved without adversely affecting the other? We believe the solution to this dilemma is rooted in agri-tech.
“Now, more than ever, farmers are facing enormous governmental pressures to meet emissions targets, however they have yet to be offered any substantial financial aid or guidance to supplement this transition. We, as innovators in this space and servants of the farmer, must take it upon ourselves to make this transition as seamless as possible and acknowledge that we have a duty to help farmers meet demand, meet regulations, reduce labour, foster a better work-life balance and above all else earn a living, just as they have a duty to provide high quality food for a growing population.” Alan adds that, if we want to reduce emissions and increase yield output then we must optimise our land, our cattle, our time and ourselves. “The solution is simple,” he says. “Less demonisation of farmers, more innovation in agriculture.”