IoT-Based pH monitoring for detection of rumen acidosis

ABSTRACT Rumen acidosis is a fatal disease that reduces milk and pregnancy yield due to digestion of cattle and when not detected. Diagnosis of this disease can be achieved by monitoring the nutritional parameters of the cattle. Internet of Things (IoT) technology is a technology used in these kinds of processes such as monitoring and tracking within the scope of Industry 4.0. Thanks to the IoT, data collection, analysis, and data processing stages are carried out instantly over the internet. In this research, an IoT-based system has been developed that can be effective in diagnosing acute rumen acidosis disease in cattle and monitoring the control of data by recording nutritional parameters. Rumen pH and temperature values were measured with an IoT-supported microcontroller, and the data were recorded in the database on the server using. The circuit and software were first tested in the laboratory environment and then in the rumen of the cannulated cattle. The pH and temperature values of rumen were measured and recorded instantaneously at certain intervals (when the animal was ruminating, after drinks water, after eating dry food, and while at rest). When the device is removed from the rumen, it has been observed that the PLA-type plastic material used in the coating of the circuit does not wear. The device was useful in the early detection of acidosis disease of an animal fed with dry feed for more than 2 hours before it turns into epilepsy and provided early intervention in the regulation of the ration.