Geo-information Technology Application Based Animal Health Management Decision Support System Development
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Panda, Sudhanshu; Babayani, Nlingisisi; Morgan, Eric; Terrill, Thomas; Mahapatra, Ajit; Wyk, Jan Van
- Source
- 2021 IST-Africa Conference (IST-Africa) IST-Africa Conference (IST-Africa), 2021. :1-13 May, 2021
- Subject
- Computing and Processing
Engineering Profession
General Topics for Engineers
Geoscience
Power, Energy and Industry Applications
Decision support systems
Production systems
Animals
Africa
Predictive models
Real-time systems
Software
Geospatial Technology
Site Specific Forage Management (SSFM)
Decision Support System (DSS)
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
Animal Health Remote Management
Smartphone App Development
Python
- Language
- ISSN
- 2576-8581
Food insecurity is a critical challenge for developing resource-poor farmers in Africa due to low quality/quantity of fodder and animal production, parasitic/infectious diseases, and lack of expert assistance. Study objectives include evaluation of efficient growth potential of appropriate tannin-rich and anti-parasitic fodder legumes in southern Africa and testing telemetry to monitor animal activity related to disease outbreaks and real-time preliminary treatment support via smartphone APP. Developed automated-geospatial model predicted suitable spatial locations to grow sericea lespedeza for improving animal production systems. Transponder-signal analyses from sheep on two farms in South Africa helped develop ranges of signals for animal health and predator attack/poaching associated behavior. Software developed from signal ranges as an early-warning system for disease detection worked efficiently. It is being combined with the under-progress smartphone APP to deliver health warnings to farmers’ cellphones. An APP-based Decision Support System website is under construction for real-time small-ruminant health management information delivery.