Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mastitis Detection index (MDi) for detection of cows with a high somatic cell count (SCC) during milking in the milking box of the DeLaval milking robot. The MDi takes conductivity, milking intervals and blood presence into consideration. All these factors and SCC dynamics were analyzed in 20 cows during a three-week period. The MDi was compared between the experimental group (cows with initial MDi 1.4 or more, n = 10) with the control group (cows with initial MDi from 1.0 to 1.3, n = 10). Results have indicated that the MDi and milk conductivity in the experimental group were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared with the control group cows (mean (SD) 1.40 (0.29) vs 1.06 (0.06) and 4634 (469.4) vs 4562 (366.9) µS·cm -1 ). There were significantly longer milking intervals (12 hours and more), and consequently less number of the milking sessions per day in the experimental group (2.3 (0.74) vs 2.6 (0.72) (p < 0.05). In total, the experimental group has significantly higher log 2 SCC 3.4 (1.53) vs 2.4 (1.45). To characterize the overall effectiveness of the MDi for detection of cows with SCC above 200 000 cells ml -1 of milk the Cohen`s kappa from 430 milking sessions were calculated and the agreement was found to be less than moderate (kappa = 0.28 ± 0.048). Besides that, the threshold values of the MDi for automatic divert of abnormal milk were modeled. If the threshold is set as high as 2.0, the SCC of diverted milk would be around 422 000 cells ml -1 and total amount of diverted milk would be 2.3 % of all milk production. At the same time, the bulk tank SCC would be as low as 155 000 cells·ml -1 . Any lover threshold would increase the amount of diverted milk, however, the somatic cell count in the bulk tank would decrease even lower.

The research has been performed in the teaching and research farm, where a part of cows were milked with two milking robots VMS produced by the company De Laval, but other cows -in a separate parlour with side by side 2x10 type milking equipment. For the research, animals that were not rejected due to traumatism or any specific disease were selected. The information on the length of the productive life of the cows was obtained from the management system of the farm and the Latvian Data Centre In the study, we used data from the Latvian Data Centre (LDC) for 173 Holstein black and white (HM) and 391 Latvian brown (LB) cows.the quality of the obtained milk was evaluated according to the number of somatic cells in it that was determined in the result of laboratory analyses. In the research it was stated that for the cows milked with robots the length of the productive life increases by approximately half year. In turn, evaluating according to the amount of somatic cells, it was stated that the obtained milk complies with the requirements of the normative standards. Nevertheless, it cannot be unequivocally ascertained that using milking robots the quality of milk is always higher than using the side-by-side type milking equipment.

The article presents research in the development of milk production mechanisation in Latvia from 2000 to 2018. It has been found that in this period of time the size of small cow herds, where there are up to five cows, has been essentially reduced, but the number of cows in herds with 50 and more animals has been increased. In barns with up to five cows, mainly water supply and milking have been mechanised. Therefore, the labour intensity of people working in milk production reaches in average 850 man-hours calculating per cow per year. In turn, in herds with 50 to 200 cows, modern technologies are used and all kinds of work are mechanised. Therefore, the average labour intensity has been reduced to 141 man-hours calculating per cow per year, but in herds with 200 and more cows -to 61 man-hours calculating per cow per year. While in the national scale the average weighted labour intensity of people working in milk production from 2000 to 2018 has been reduced by 53 % reaching 302 man-hours per cow per year. In Latvia also milking robotics is developing that at present is implemented on 4.74 % level.

-Expert information in the form of decision or evaluation is often used to solve tasks with the help of artificial intelligence theory and methods.The usage of information has strict requirements for the degree of expert consensus.Unfortunately, the format of calculation of the degree of consensus does not cover in the practice existing spectrum of the task format, so it is necessary adapt a practical task to a theoretical method format. The paper describes one of the methods and research being evaluated.

The article discusses the possibilities of ammonia emission reduction in dairy cattle farming. In earlier research by the authors of the article it has been found that updating of the production technology and production of liquid manure increase ammonia emissions approximately 1.8 times. Therefore, it may hinder implementation of the national aims determined in the country on a gradual reduction of ammonia emissions. Therefore, the ammonia emission reduction measures recommended in special literature are summarised as well as their evaluation by application of the expert method is presented. The measures approved by the experts are divided into three groups depending on the capital investments that are needed for their implementation. In the research it has been stated that for further reduction of ammonia emissions in dairy farming it is sufficient to improve the animal welfare measures and enlarge usage of liquid manure chemical or biological additives, but it is not necessary to invest large capital investments for the building of new dairy cattle housing facilities and farm manure storages.