The ability to make step change improvements in livestock productivity and profitability has been made possible via research by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and CSIRO.
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Collaboration leader, NSW DPI senior principal research scientist Dr Paul Greenwood, based at the DPI Beef Industry Centre in Armidale, said the innovative research uses sensors and wireless networks to measure individual feed intake and efficiency of livestock in a commercial grazing environment.
“Feed can be a major cost of production for a cattle enterprise, and most of Australia’s beef production is raised on pasture, so small improvements in pasture efficiency can have large impacts on the bottom line,” Dr Greenwood said.
“Our aim is to develop sensor devices that can be practically and economically deployed on livestock in their commercial grazing environment, to inform and enhance productivity and efficiency improvements.
“These devices will enable the development of new and more commercially relevant traits for genetic or genomic selection of grazing livestock, and allow for greater precision in livestock production and pasture management using real time data.”
Dr Greenwood said various economic analyses have shown the research can deliver substantial value to industry, with benefit cost ratios for genetic improvement ranging from $5.50 to $7.70 per dollar invested within a southern Australian beef enterprise.
“These analyses take no account of the additional benefits likely to accrue from improved health, reproduction and welfare status of cattle or the labour savings that will flow from the research. Benefits for the beef industry and sheep sector will also result from this research,” Dr Greenwood said.
Improvements in pasture efficiency can have large impacts on the bottom line.
- Dr Paul Greenwood, NSWDPI
The sensor devices are able to reliably identify and measure a range of behaviours that relate to pasture intake, such as grazing, ruminating, drinking, walking and resting.
CSIRO research scientist and group leader Dr Aaron Ingham said the sensors may be used as ear tags, collars, a harness or direct attachment devices to measure proximity, location, behaviour, health and welfare.
“These devices are crucial in understanding the nature of the pasture being grazed, which directly impacts on the amount and type of pasture eaten by each animal, along with the optimisation of pasture management systems.”
