Project Grant 20226901436670

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ARE A POTENTIAL AVENUE TO IMPROVE BEEF CATTLE PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY, BUT LACK IN-DEPTH RESEARCH. UNDERSTANDING BEEF CATTLE PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY IS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS HUMAN FOOD NEEDS, ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, EFFECTIVELY USE NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES AND ON-FARM RESOURCES, AND HELP SUSTAIN FARM/RANCH ECONOMIC VIABILITY.THE OVERALL HYPOTHESIS OF THIS WORK IS THAT THE USE OF PRECISION GRAZING TECHNOLOGY WILL ENHANCE ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY, WHILE INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL CAPACITY. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) IMPLEMENT PRECISION GRAZING USING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO EVALUATE CATTLE, ENVIRONMENT, AND ECONOMIC RESPONSES; 2) DEVELOP AND INTEGRATE SATELLITE IMAGERY TO FURTHER ENHANCE PRECISION GRAZING; AND 3) DELIVER SCIENCE-BASED, OBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE TO PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS REGARDING THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.WE EXPECT THAT CATTLE IN A PRECISION GRAZING SYSTEM WILL HAVE LOWER INTESTINAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, GREATER AVERAGE DAILY GAIN, IMPROVED FEED CONVERSION RATIOS, AND MORE DESIRABLE CARCASS TRAITS COMPARED TO CATTLE IN A SIMPLE CONTINUOUS GRAZING SYSTEM. WE ALSO EXPECT THAT IN A PRECISION GRAZING SYSTEM, FORAGE UTILIZATION WILL BE UNIFORM, AND THE CARBON BALANCE WILL BE BETTER REGULATED THAN COMPARED TO A SIMPLE CONTINUOUS GRAZING SYSTEM. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE INCREASED PRODUCER ADOPTION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, IMPROVED ANIMAL PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY, AND THEREFORE HIGHER QUALITY CATTLE AND MORE ECONOMIC VIABILITY FOR PRODUCERS. THIS WORK WILL DEVELOP MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF BEEF PRODUCTION, AND PROVIDE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATION OF THOSE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS.