Monitoring and managing landscape variability in grazing systems

Abstract

Precision agriculture (PA) technologies and applications have largely been targeted at the cropping and horticultural industries. Little research has been undertaken exploring the potential for PA in grazing systems. This paper reports on the results of five studies examining PA technologies and techniques in grazing systems including: spatial variability in soil nutrients and fertiliser response across the grazing landscape; spatial landscape utilisation in relationship to individual animal productivity and health; spatial variability in pasture pests; and the development of a sensor network for monitoring spatial soil moisture, soil temperature and ambient temperature across a grazing landscape. The large variability exhibited in our trials suggests there is an enormous opportunity for precision agriculture in grazing systems. Sensing and responding to this variability will require careful application of modern PA technology and a substantial investment in research to better understand spatial variability in our grazing landscapes.