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The intensification of swine production has raised concerns about animal welfare, environmental impact, and productivity. Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies offer innovative solutions by leveraging sensors, automation, and artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring and management in pig farming.
Objective: This review explores the current state of PLF applications in swine production, identifying key benefits and challenges associated with their implementation.
Methods: This review is based on a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature, including studies published between 1990 and 2024. Data were gathered from electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, focusing on technologies for health monitoring, feeding optimization, microclimate control, and welfare assessment in pigs.
Results: Precision livestock farming technologies have demonstrated their potential to improve productivity, health, and welfare through early disease detection, automated feeding, and environmental control. Camera-based systems, sound analysis, and radio-frequency identification 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.
Conclusion: Precision livestock farming represents a promising approach for optimizing swine production, but broader adoption requires cost-effective solutions and interdisciplinary collaboration. Future research should focus on integrating PLF tools into practical farm settings, ensuring accessibility and user-friendly implementation to support sustainable and ethical pig farming.
Buonaiuto G, Nannoni E, Sardi L, Belperio S, Sanzò C, Martelli G. Invited Review: Precision livestock farming technologies in swine intensive production. Applied Animal Science, Volume 42, Issue 3, June 2026, Pages 175-202. https://doi.org/10.15232/aas.2025-02699
