8 July 2025
Unlike traditional computers that use bits, quantum computers use qubits - units that can exist in multiple states simultaneously and can be entangled with one another. ‘Quantum computers don’t simply perform existing operations faster, they allow us to approach problems in fundamentally new ways,’ explains Torsten Pook, lead author of the study. ‘It’s like using a boat to cross the Strait of Gibraltar instead of driving around it in a race car.’
The researchers evaluated a wide range of agricultural challenges that quantum computing could help address. These include optimising global food supply chains, interpreting satellite imagery for land use, and predicting breeding values in animal breeding programmes. The potential applications are vast.
Still, the team remains cautious about short-term expectations. Current quantum hardware is noisy and primarily limited to small-scale problems. However, with the Dutch government investing €200 million annually in quantum technology, rapid advancements are anticipated. Michael Aldridge, one of the co-authors of the study, emphasises the broader vision: ‘Quantum computing won’t replace traditional systems - it will complement them. What’s exciting is not just faster computing, but the entirely new questions we’ll be able to ask.’
Developing quantum algorithms requires both deep domain expertise and specialised knowledge in quantum mechanics. ‘Interdisciplinary collaboration with quantum experts from the Quantum Application Lab and TNO is absolutely crucial to our project’s success,’ says Pook.
Koen Leijnse (QAL), co-author of the review, comments: ‘At QAL we are driven by curiosity and aim to understand how this emerging technology can be applied across a wide array of domains. This is a great example of such an exploration where we on the one hand give a broad perspective of quantum computing applications in animal breeding, while in parallel diving deep into a select few of those to properly understand their potential and limitations.’
Next, the team aims to dive deeper into concrete applications in animal breeding and to develop quantum algorithms for predicting breeding values that can handle increasingly large datasets and to monitor animals on lameness, sickness and aggressive behaviour through video analysis.