Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation
Grazing pasture quality and availability, and grazing animal performance, depend on ecological and weather conditions and grazing management. The latter can be improved by remote monitoring of animals and grazed forage. The aim of this study was to test the ability of a new remote-monitoring system...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/288 |
| _version_ | 1797483728445898752 |
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| author | Aviv Asher Arieh Brosh |
| author_facet | Aviv Asher Arieh Brosh |
| author_sort | Aviv Asher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grazing pasture quality and availability, and grazing animal performance, depend on ecological and weather conditions and grazing management. The latter can be improved by remote monitoring of animals and grazed forage. The aim of this study was to test the ability of a new remote-monitoring system to improve cow and pasture performance. The study used 20 collars for a herd of 40 cows, precision technology to monitor each collared cow’s location and activities 24 h per day, and herd-management system (HMS) software to optimize grazing-land and animal performance. The study covered 4 consecutive years of reproductive cycles and seasonal feed supplements. The selected forage’s metabolizable energy (ME) calculated by the HMS was significantly correlated with the ME calculated by fecal near-infrared spectroscopy analysis (<i>r<sub>p</sub></i> = 0.91, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Cows’ daily activities (walking, grazing, resting, and average daily meal duration), energy balance, and forage quality changed with the seasons, mainly affected by the timing, duration, and volume of precipitation. The HMS well identified sickness events, forage quality and availability, cows’ retained energy, and grazing-land stocking rate (2.9 ha/cow). A significant increase in weaning rate along the 5 years of the study (<i>r<sub>p</sub></i> = 0.921, <i>p</i> < 0.01) was found. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:51:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4385137de4754c6dac3946dfeb04241e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:51:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-4385137de4754c6dac3946dfeb04241e2023-11-23T18:19:21ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-01-0112228810.3390/agronomy12020288Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its ValidationAviv Asher0Arieh Brosh1Department of Animal Science, Northern R&D, MIGAL—Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona P.O. Box 831, IsraelAgricultural Research Organization, Newe Yaar Research Center, Beef Cattle Section, Ramat Yishay P.O. Box 1021, IsraelGrazing pasture quality and availability, and grazing animal performance, depend on ecological and weather conditions and grazing management. The latter can be improved by remote monitoring of animals and grazed forage. The aim of this study was to test the ability of a new remote-monitoring system to improve cow and pasture performance. The study used 20 collars for a herd of 40 cows, precision technology to monitor each collared cow’s location and activities 24 h per day, and herd-management system (HMS) software to optimize grazing-land and animal performance. The study covered 4 consecutive years of reproductive cycles and seasonal feed supplements. The selected forage’s metabolizable energy (ME) calculated by the HMS was significantly correlated with the ME calculated by fecal near-infrared spectroscopy analysis (<i>r<sub>p</sub></i> = 0.91, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Cows’ daily activities (walking, grazing, resting, and average daily meal duration), energy balance, and forage quality changed with the seasons, mainly affected by the timing, duration, and volume of precipitation. The HMS well identified sickness events, forage quality and availability, cows’ retained energy, and grazing-land stocking rate (2.9 ha/cow). A significant increase in weaning rate along the 5 years of the study (<i>r<sub>p</sub></i> = 0.921, <i>p</i> < 0.01) was found.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/288remote monitoringpasture qualitypasture biomassstocking rategrazing cowsherd management and performance |
| spellingShingle | Aviv Asher Arieh Brosh Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation Agronomy remote monitoring pasture quality pasture biomass stocking rate grazing cows herd management and performance |
| title | Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation |
| title_full | Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation |
| title_fullStr | Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation |
| title_short | Decision Support System (DSS) for Managing a Beef Herd and Its Grazing Habitat’s Sustainability: Biological/Agricultural Basis of the Technology and Its Validation |
| title_sort | decision support system dss for managing a beef herd and its grazing habitat s sustainability biological agricultural basis of the technology and its validation |
| topic | remote monitoring pasture quality pasture biomass stocking rate grazing cows herd management and performance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/2/288 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT avivasher decisionsupportsystemdssformanagingabeefherdanditsgrazinghabitatssustainabilitybiologicalagriculturalbasisofthetechnologyanditsvalidation AT ariehbrosh decisionsupportsystemdssformanagingabeefherdanditsgrazinghabitatssustainabilitybiologicalagriculturalbasisofthetechnologyanditsvalidation |