Società Agricola Della Bona Faustino e C. s.s. (BS)

Via Cascina Monticella – 25020 Gambara (BS) – Italia

The farm is specialized in the production of drinking milk and dairy processing.

Della Bona farm is the figure that plays a tester role for the introduction of NIR technology on the silage cutter and a novel optical sensor for the evaluation of the particle size of the ration.

The accurate evaluation of the loaded dry matter will reduce the mistake related to the different humidity of the components resulting in better uniformity of the ration, reduced losses, and improved quality and quantity of productions.

Better feeding management reflects in a more reliable warehouse and stocks management and, therefore, improved supply contracts with a consequent improvement in economic efficiency and sustainability.

Animals grow in free stall barn under a conventional management system.

Two self-propelled mixing wagons with a volume of 32 m3 provide for ration distribution twice a day. One of them is equipped with a NIR sensor on the silage cutter and, on the back, with an optical sensor that measures the average size of the ration particles to adjust the duration of the mixing time to reach the optimal size.