AG2PI Field Day #11 - September 15, 2021

Precision livestock management has ushered in a new era of sensors and technology to monitor the health, reproductive, and nutritional status of individual animals in real time to improve efficiency. Despite these advances, incorporation of extensive rangeland production systems remains relatively absent. Numerous challenges exist including applying and integrating multiple technologies across platforms, effectiveness in a real-world setting, technical skills, knowledge on utilizing real-time data, and achieving economic returns for livestock producers.

Advances in communication technology increasingly connects remote areas, creating new opportunities to improve livestock production efficiency on extensive rangelands. Opportunities exist to refine or develop the next generation of equations or models for individual animal diet selection and supplementation, movement, behavior, water intake, feed conversion efficiency, heat/cold stress, and gain. Enhancing rangeland production using precision technology requires the assessment of potential intended and unintended consequences. Determining systems-level impacts of precision technologies is the next step to substantially enhance livestock performance in extensive systems.