In March, 2018 the laboratory, unique for Belarus, for fodder and feed researches based in Skarb-Bio office was opened. The project is made in cooperation with a Dutch company Eurofins Agro specializing in carrying out agricultural analysis.
Work of Skarb-Lab is based on NIRS technology (Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy). It is a method of physical analysis which uses a near part of infrared radiation. NIRS researches give valuable information about feed composite structure: sugar, starch, protein, fats and etc.
Han van de Goor, manager for international sales in Eurofins Agro has told AGRONEWS about work features of laboratory in the Netherlands and about how the new technology will improve Belarusian cattle breeders lives.
— What profit do you see in opening such a laboratory in Belarus? How quickly will it be able to show results?
— You are absolutely prepared about the matter. A lot of things depend on what relations you establish with farmers, whether you will be able to convince them. I think, everything will work for you. It will be mutually beneficial cooperation.
— What helps Eurofins Agro laboratory to receive exact and fast forage analysis?
— Dutch farmers have founded the lab in 1928. (Reference: in 2013 there was a merge of this company with Eurofins Agro. The name BLGG has remained as a brand on Russian market). All this time Eurofins Agro carries out agricultural analysis. In 1986 we were attracted by NIRS technology because we wanted to do analysis much quicker. For many people it is still a new technology, but we work with it for more than 30 years. During these years the huge database of samples was created. As a result using spectral method we can receive fast and exact analysis.
— How often are forage analyses carried out in the Netherlands? Whether every farmer does them?
— Yes, all farmers do analyses. The quantity of the samples depends on the farm size. Most of the farmers send us on average 6 samples a year, bigger farms — two samples a month (grass sample and corn sample). It's approximately 24 samples per year.
— You provide a wide range of analyses. What other ways to analyze animal feed, besides NIRS researches, in your laboratories are used by farmers in the Netherlands?
— It depends on a farm type. In the Netherlands there are many different farmer specializations: poultry farming, pig-breeding, dairy livestock production, potato growing, etc. Analyses of forages which are done by Eurofins Agro usually are demanded by those farmers who specialize in dairy livestock production. Also they are interested in soil and manure analyses. Those landowners who are engaged in vegetables cultivation in greenhouses, are interested in water researches (pollution, diseases). If farmers specialize in tomatoes export, for example, than it's important that vegetables satisfy all international standards. Naturally, other parametrs will be important here.
— Whether mobile laboratories for forage analyses are widespread in the Netherlands?
— Yes, we use such laboratories. They can be even useful in something. Mobile laboratories measure products exactly how they are. Many of them contain water. In corn silo, for example, 2/3 is water. It is as the situation with Belarusian weather. Two days ago it was foggy in Minsk. Even planes couldn't land at Minsk National airport. Some things were visible through fog, but it wasn't accurate. The same happens with the samples containing water: they can be analyzed, but results will be not absolutely accurate. And when you first dry a sample, later you see all parameters clearly. For this reason we always recommend: if you need exact analysis, bring samples to the laboratory and carry out spectral researches.
— What key indicators in forage researches do Dutch experts pay special attention to?
— Everything depends on forage variety. Energy which the animal will receive from forage consumption is directly connected with its ability to digest this forage. For corn forage it’s important to pay attention to the content of starch (transit starch), for grass (lucerne) — the amount of protein. Key indicators to which it is necessary to pay attention to— are digestibility and energy. All the rest depend on forage which the animal eats.
