Distributed computing as a new opportunity for stakeholders in dairy cattle management and breeding

Currently the uses of on-farm computers and of centralized performance-recording based tools are considered as two opposite models for dairy management. However, dividing the problem into complementary tasks, each of which is optimally solved, is an opportunity that should also be considered by stakeholders. recent development solved data exchange issues allowing the use of adapted distributed computing algorithms. as example milk yield and composition are given. Different research projects and several commercial companies are focussing on the development of on-farm tools, mostly near infrared (nir) based, other projects are developing and implementing tools based on mid infrared (mir), available only through performance recording.Both are complementary, as nir based measurements are easier and less expensive, available at every milking, but mir based measurements are more precise, however only obtained every 4 weeks. numerous advantages arise when combining both types of measurements. it will be shown that statistical theory exists to base advanced modelling on, using optimally the longitudinal data generated by this type of setting. this will open different novel opportunities to optimize currently used on-farm and off-farm management and breeding tools.