Invited Review: Precision livestock farming technologies in swine intensive production

The intensification of swine production has raised concerns about animal welfare, environmental im-pact, and productivity. Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies offer innovative solutions by leveraging sen-sors, automation, and artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring and management in pig farming. This review explores the current state of PLF applications in swine production, identifying key benefits and challenges associ-ated with their implementation. This review is based on a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature, including studies published be-tween 1990 and 2024. Data were gathered from electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, focusing on technologies for health monitoring, feeding op-timization, microclimate control, and welfare assessment in pigs. Precision livestock farming technologies have demonstrated their potential to improve productiv-ity, health, and welfare through early disease detection, automated feeding, and environmental control. Camera-based systems, sound analysis, and radio-frequency iden-tification tracking enhance real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance reduces system failures. However, adoption remains limited because of high costs, technical complexity, and the need for producer training. Precision livestock farming represents a promising approach for optimizing swine production, but broader adoption requires cost-ef-fective solutions and interdisciplinary collaboration. Fu-ture research should focus on integrating PLF tools into practical farm settings, ensuring accessibility and user-friendly implementation to support sustainable and ethi-cal pig farming.

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Publication Details

Journal
Applied Animal Science
Published
2026-05-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2025-02699
Primary Topic
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
Type
article
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article

Invited Review: Precision livestock farming technologies in swine intensive production

Giovanna Martelli, Luca Sardi, Giovanni Buonaiuto, Simona Belperio et al.
Applied Animal Science
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
article

Invited Review: Precision livestock farming technologies in swine intensive production

Giovanna Martelli, Luca Sardi, Giovanni Buonaiuto, Simona Belperio, Chris Sanzò, Eleonora Nannoni
article en

Abstract

The intensification of swine production has raised concerns about animal welfare, environmental im-pact, and productivity. Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies offer innovative solutions by leveraging sen-sors, automation, and artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring and management in pig farming. This review explores the current state of PLF applications in swine production, identifying key benefits and challenges associ-ated with their implementation. This review is based on a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature, including studies published be-tween 1990 and 2024. Data were gathered from electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, focusing on technologies for health monitoring, feeding op-timization, microclimate control, and welfare assessment in pigs. Precision livestock farming technologies have demonstrated their potential to improve productiv-ity, health, and welfare through early disease detection, automated feeding, and environmental control. Camera-based systems, sound analysis, and radio-frequency iden-tification tracking enhance real-time monitoring, and predictive maintenance reduces system failures. However, adoption remains limited because of high costs, technical complexity, and the need for producer training. Precision livestock farming represents a promising approach for optimizing swine production, but broader adoption requires cost-ef-fective solutions and interdisciplinary collaboration. Fu-ture research should focus on integrating PLF tools into practical farm settings, ensuring accessibility and user-friendly implementation to support sustainable and ethi-cal pig farming.

Applied Animal ScienceVol. 42(3)
University of Bologna (IT)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
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