In a move set to redefine modern dairy farming, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has introduced farm-twin – the world’s first open-source digital twin platform designed exclusively for the dairy sector.
Developed at SRUC’s Dairy Research Centre near Dumfries, the innovation marks a major step forward in the use of digital technology to boost dairy farming efficiency, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.
Backed by the Digital Dairy Chain through the UKRI Strength in Places programme, farm-twin brings together cutting-edge research and real-world farming needs.
By blending data science with precision agriculture it gives farmers a powerful new way to visualise, analyse, and optimise every aspect of their operations.
A new era of data-driven dairy farming
At its core, farm-twin is a virtual replica of the entire farm system – from individual cows to barns and milking equipment – powered by real-time data from sensors, telemetry, and digital tools.
This digital mirror enables farmers to monitor animal health, productivity, and environmental conditions with unparalleled precision.
By transforming raw data into actionable insights, farm-twin supports informed decision-making that enhances efficiency and animal welfare.
Smart integration and predictive power
One of farm-twin’s most powerful features is its ability to integrate data from multiple sources and display it through intuitive dashboards.
Farmers can visualise key metrics at a glance, from milk yields to feed consumption, allowing them to respond quickly to emerging trends.
The platform’s predictive analytics go even further – analysing performance and health data to detect early signs of illness or productivity decline before problems escalate.
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In certain cases, farm-twin can even take automated action. For instance, if a cow shows symptoms of being unwell, the system can trigger a shedding gate to separate the animal for treatment, while alerting the farmer with detailed diagnostic insights.
Precision agriculture meets open source
By creating a real-time digital reflection of farm operations, farm-twin brings precision agriculture to life, helping dairy farmers make smarter use of feed, water, and energy resources while reducing waste.
The platform’s open-source foundation encourages collaboration across the agri-tech community, making advanced digital tools accessible to farms of all sizes.
Researchers and developers can freely modify and expand farm-twin, building new integrations or analytical models to support evolving technologies.
Historical data can also be imported, enabling long-term tracking and simulation for improved forecasting.
Driving sustainability and global competitiveness
SRUC believes that open-source innovation is key to advancing sustainable dairy farming worldwide.
With farm-twin, the institution aims to equip farmers with the digital tools and insights needed to thrive in a data-driven agricultural economy.
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, explained: “With innovations like farm-twin, we are transforming dairy production systems and positioning the sector as a global leader in sustainable, data-driven agriculture.
“This open-source platform will support entrepreneurship, drive new market opportunities, and equip the workforce with vital digital skills, all while accelerating our journey toward a more productive, resilient, and sustainable future.”
As the dairy industry faces increasing pressure to balance productivity with environmental responsibility, farm-twin stands as a transformative step toward smarter, more sustainable dairy farming.
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