Applied Research Note: Development of a novel low flow water monitoring system in poultry/agriculture systems

Abstract

Summary: Water scarcity is a global reality and with the anticipated population growth, freshwater resources will be further strained to meet both human and agriculture applications. To ensure a water sustainable and food secure future, all aspects of agriculture must become more efficient. Two strategies were explored. The first strategy was to develop a more efficient and accurate method for measuring water consumption/inputs in agriculture. To date, water measuring technology has lacked the necessary sophistication to assure accuracy and repeatability of low flow water usage. The second strategy utilized the improved water measuring technology, to develop water-efficient genetics in agricultural populations (i.e., row crops, avian and mammalian species) and evaluate nutrition-related associations. Although this low flow water monitoring system has applications in many agriculture/research fields, the current research focuses on measuring water consumption in the commercial broiler.

Keywords

• broiler
• water intake
• water conversion ratio
• nutrition