Pub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.004
Douglas R. Tolleson , William E. Fox , William E. Pinchak , Jay P. Angerer
•
Determining the quality of grazed forage remains a challenge for nutritional modeling and monitoring in livestock.
•
One method used to accomplish this task has been near-infrared spectroscopy of feces (FNIRS) combined with the Nutritional Balance Analyzer Model (Nutbal).
•
Users of the FNIRS-Nutbal system in the Edwards Plateau of Texas have observed inaccurate predictions of diet quality on rangelands.
•
Application of a regional-specific FNIRS calibration improved the estimation of grazing animal diet quality in this region.
•
Nutritional monitoring of beef cows grazing Edwards Plateau rangeland via the FNIRS-Nutbal system was accurate enough (± 0.5 body condition score, 80% occurrence) to inform management decisions, but incorrect predictions of animal performance did occur.
{"title":"Nutritional monitoring of rangeland beef cattle in the Edwards Plateau of Texas using region-specific fecal near-infrared spectroscopy predictions of diet quality","authors":"Douglas R. Tolleson , William E. Fox , William E. Pinchak , Jay P. Angerer","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Determining the quality of grazed forage remains a challenge for nutritional modeling and monitoring in livestock.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>One method used to accomplish this task has been near-infrared spectroscopy of feces (FNIRS) combined with the Nutritional Balance Analyzer Model (Nutbal).</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Users of the FNIRS-Nutbal system in the Edwards Plateau of Texas have observed inaccurate predictions of diet quality on rangelands.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Application of a regional-specific FNIRS calibration improved the estimation of grazing animal diet quality in this region.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Nutritional monitoring of beef cows grazing Edwards Plateau rangeland via the FNIRS-Nutbal system was accurate enough (± 0.5 body condition score, 80% occurrence) to inform management decisions, but incorrect predictions of animal performance did occur.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 2","pages":"Pages 109-117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.003
Diego M. Aviles , Caitlyn E. Cooper , Whitney L. Crossland , S.V. Krishna Jagadish , Aaron B. Norris
•
Managed grazing systems strive to improve rangeland health and forage utilization.
•
Novel grazing technologies are enabling managed grazing to be more effectively applied to rangeland systems.
•
Herd instinct tags are a new technology that aim to promote migratory grazing and increased stocking density with lesser technical knowledge and management inputs than virtual fencing applications.
•
Herd instinct tags maintained animals at a higher stock density but did not affect animal behavior or fecal cortisol levels.
•
Evaluation of animal performance and ecological health is needed to determine suitability in production scenarios.
{"title":"Evaluation of herd instinct tags on cattle behavior in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas","authors":"Diego M. Aviles , Caitlyn E. Cooper , Whitney L. Crossland , S.V. Krishna Jagadish , Aaron B. Norris","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Managed grazing systems strive to improve rangeland health and forage utilization.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Novel grazing technologies are enabling managed grazing to be more effectively applied to rangeland systems.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Herd instinct tags are a new technology that aim to promote migratory grazing and increased stocking density with lesser technical knowledge and management inputs than virtual fencing applications.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Herd instinct tags maintained animals at a higher stock density but did not affect animal behavior or fecal cortisol levels.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Evaluation of animal performance and ecological health is needed to determine suitability in production scenarios.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 2","pages":"Pages 128-135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.12.001
Katie J. Pennartz , Evan P. Tanner , Megan K. Clayton , Anthony D. Falk , David B. Wester , Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso
•
Whitebrush (Aloysia gratissima) is a native shrub in South Texas that has become a nuisance on rangelands by forming monoculture stands often requiring intensive management. Whitebrush is drought deciduous (i.e., defoliation in response to moisture stress), which limits the traditional window of opportunity for foliar herbicide applications.
•
In 2020, a new herbicide in the picolinic acid family (Invora; aminocyclopyrachlor + triclopyr [ACP + T 1:2]) capable of offering high levels of control for select resprouting woody species was approved for use in rangelands. Our field trials demonstrated Invora provided high levels of control when applied as individual plant (IPT, mortality = 100%) and broadcast (BC, mortality = 98.6%) foliar treatments regardless of season (P = 0.29, α = 0.05) two years after treatment.
•
We also found foliar-like applications of other commonly used herbicides can be highly effective when applied to dormant shrubs (IPT mortality = 99.7%, BC mortality = 83.5%) with at least 2.5% surfactant in the chemical mix.
•
Laboratory testing indicated high variation in the percentage of viable seed produced annually between whitebrush populations (6%–49%), providing insight into population recruitment strategies post-treatment.
{"title":"An assessment of chemical control options for whitebrush (Aloysia gratissima) in South Texas","authors":"Katie J. Pennartz , Evan P. Tanner , Megan K. Clayton , Anthony D. Falk , David B. Wester , Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Whitebrush (<em>Aloysia gratissima</em>) is a native shrub in South Texas that has become a nuisance on rangelands by forming monoculture stands often requiring intensive management. Whitebrush is drought deciduous (i.e., defoliation in response to moisture stress), which limits the traditional window of opportunity for foliar herbicide applications.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>In 2020, a new herbicide in the picolinic acid family (Invora; aminocyclopyrachlor + triclopyr [ACP + <em>T</em> 1:2]) capable of offering high levels of control for select resprouting woody species was approved for use in rangelands. Our field trials demonstrated Invora provided high levels of control when applied as individual plant (IPT, mortality = 100%) and broadcast (BC, mortality = 98.6%) foliar treatments regardless of season (<em>P</em> = 0.29, α = 0.05) two years after treatment.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We also found foliar-like applications of other commonly used herbicides can be highly effective when applied to dormant shrubs (IPT mortality = 99.7%, BC mortality = 83.5%) with at least 2.5% surfactant in the chemical mix.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Laboratory testing indicated high variation in the percentage of viable seed produced annually between whitebrush populations (6%–49%), providing insight into population recruitment strategies post-treatment.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 2","pages":"Pages 118-127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.04.002
Juliana Ranches , Chad Boyd , Rory C. O'Connor , Matheus Ferreira , Aline Cristine Rezende dos Santos , Gracia Maria Puerto Hernandez , Dustin Johnson , David Bohnert
•
Containing cattle with a virtual fence (VF) has gained considerable attention. VF technology uses auditory and electric stimuli to contain or exclude cattle from predetermined areas, which has raised concerns over cattle welfare.
•
We evaluated blood markers associated with stress and inflammatory response when naive cattle were fitted with VF collars.
•
We detected no major changes in blood markers. Cattle were able to quickly identify and adapt to VF boundaries and over time reduce the number of stimuli.
•
Our results indicate VF technology can contain cattle within a pre-established boundary and does not negatively impact cattle welfare.
{"title":"Evaluation of blood markers of stress in beef cows during exposure to virtual fence stimuli","authors":"Juliana Ranches , Chad Boyd , Rory C. O'Connor , Matheus Ferreira , Aline Cristine Rezende dos Santos , Gracia Maria Puerto Hernandez , Dustin Johnson , David Bohnert","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Containing cattle with a virtual fence (VF) has gained considerable attention. VF technology uses auditory and electric stimuli to contain or exclude cattle from predetermined areas, which has raised concerns over cattle welfare.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We evaluated blood markers associated with stress and inflammatory response when naive cattle were fitted with VF collars.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We detected no major changes in blood markers. Cattle were able to quickly identify and adapt to VF boundaries and over time reduce the number of stimuli.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Our results indicate VF technology can contain cattle within a pre-established boundary and does not negatively impact cattle welfare.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 84-91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141138876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.05.002
Brandon Mayer , Amber Dalke , Andrew Antaya , Sarah Noelle , Brett Blum , Carter Blouin , George Ruyle , Joslyn K. Beard , Aaron Lien
•
The emergence of virtual fence (VF) as a precision livestock technology presents an opportunity to move beyond physical fences and alter grazing distribution over expansive arid and semi-arid rangelands.
•
VF can be used to gather and move livestock through a grazing rotation by using passive capture techniques, which enhance predictability and reliability in rotation management.
•
VF can effectively influence livestock distribution by dividing large, expansive pastures into smaller sub-pastures and help reduce livestock access to riparian ecosystems.
•
Although preliminary results suggest VF has promise as a dynamic grazing-management tool, more controlled research in the desert Southwest is needed to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the system.
{"title":"Using virtual fence to manage livestock in arid and semi-arid rangelands","authors":"Brandon Mayer , Amber Dalke , Andrew Antaya , Sarah Noelle , Brett Blum , Carter Blouin , George Ruyle , Joslyn K. Beard , Aaron Lien","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>The emergence of virtual fence (VF) as a precision livestock technology presents an opportunity to move beyond physical fences and alter grazing distribution over expansive arid and semi-arid rangelands.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>VF can be used to gather and move livestock through a grazing rotation by using passive capture techniques, which enhance predictability and reliability in rotation management.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>VF can effectively influence livestock distribution by dividing large, expansive pastures into smaller sub-pastures and help reduce livestock access to riparian ecosystems.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Although preliminary results suggest VF has promise as a dynamic grazing-management tool, more controlled research in the desert Southwest is needed to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the system.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 24-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143265900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.002
Jancy Jeffus , Kevin Wagner , Laura Goodman , Todd Parker , Blake Wilson , Andrew Foote , Ryan Reuter
•
Virtual fence (VF) technology is rapidly developing and being adopted, but many ranchers and consumers have questions about its effect on the welfare of range beef cattle.
•
We conducted two studies using either VF collars or conventional electric fencing to rotationally graze beef cattle. We measured several common physiological and behavioral indicators of stress and correlated these indicators with the number of electric stimuli received from the VF collars.
•
Physiological and behavioral indicators of stress were not different between cattle rotated within the two types of fencing. No correlations were evident between the number of electrical stimuli received and stress indicators. From the perspective of cattle welfare, we concluded that continued development and use of VF is warranted.
{"title":"Virtual fences are not more stressful than conventional electric fences in rotationally stocked beef cattle","authors":"Jancy Jeffus , Kevin Wagner , Laura Goodman , Todd Parker , Blake Wilson , Andrew Foote , Ryan Reuter","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Virtual fence (VF) technology is rapidly developing and being adopted, but many ranchers and consumers have questions about its effect on the welfare of range beef cattle.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We conducted two studies using either VF collars or conventional electric fencing to rotationally graze beef cattle. We measured several common physiological and behavioral indicators of stress and correlated these indicators with the number of electric stimuli received from the VF collars.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Physiological and behavioral indicators of stress were not different between cattle rotated within the two types of fencing. No correlations were evident between the number of electrical stimuli received and stress indicators. From the perspective of cattle welfare, we concluded that continued development and use of VF is warranted.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 61-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143266639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.08.004
Alayna Gerhardt, Federica La Manna, Ryan Reuter
•
In a production setting, the accuracy of virtual fence (VF) collars is crucial, particularly when dealing with small-scale pastures or making precise management decisions.
•
Without a clear understanding of the accuracy associated with VF collars, some intended uses may be limited, or inadvertent problems may be created.
•
With a better understanding of a VF collar's accuracy, users can design and implement more effective VFs into their production system.
•
The initial introduction of animals to VF plays a crucial role in training and influences the success of implementing future VF scenarios.
{"title":"A pilot study: Training cattle to virtual fence management in groups","authors":"Alayna Gerhardt, Federica La Manna, Ryan Reuter","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>In a production setting, the accuracy of virtual fence (VF) collars is crucial, particularly when dealing with small-scale pastures or making precise management decisions.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Without a clear understanding of the accuracy associated with VF collars, some intended uses may be limited, or inadvertent problems may be created.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>With a better understanding of a VF collar's accuracy, users can design and implement more effective VFs into their production system.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>The initial introduction of animals to VF plays a crucial role in training and influences the success of implementing future VF scenarios.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 34-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143265898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2024.06.003
Tegan M. May , William S. Burnidge , Anthony G. Vorster , Amber M. Dalke , Hugh Aljoe , Aaron M. Lien , Sarah M. Noelle
•
Virtual fencing (VF) is a recent development in agriculture technology with a high potential to improve management outcomes on public and private grazing lands. Adoption is expected to accelerate as the technology improves in providing safe and effective management capabilities for diverse operating contexts.
•
Although the applications of VF are numerous, it is not a silver bullet to solve grazing management issues and is not always beneficial for farm and ranch operations.
•
We reflect on the operational characteristics that tend to lead to successful VF deployment based on direct experience using VF on working ranches in the United States over the last three years.
•
We provide a set of questions and considerations and a decision tree to help producers determine their suitability for adopting and benefiting from VF as well as highlight when producers may need to adapt to realize the full potential of VF. These questions also elucidate when producers may be better served to look to other management approaches or tools rather than investing in VF at this time.
•
Our goal is to provide realistic expectations of what VF can and cannot do and help producers be well prepared and succeed with deploying and using VF.
{"title":"Is virtual fencing right for you? Producer considerations for successfully deploying and managing livestock with a virtual fence system","authors":"Tegan M. May , William S. Burnidge , Anthony G. Vorster , Amber M. Dalke , Hugh Aljoe , Aaron M. Lien , Sarah M. Noelle","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Virtual fencing (VF) is a recent development in agriculture technology with a high potential to improve management outcomes on public and private grazing lands. Adoption is expected to accelerate as the technology improves in providing safe and effective management capabilities for diverse operating contexts.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Although the applications of VF are numerous, it is not a silver bullet to solve grazing management issues and is not always beneficial for farm and ranch operations.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We reflect on the operational characteristics that tend to lead to successful VF deployment based on direct experience using VF on working ranches in the United States over the last three years.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We provide a set of questions and considerations and a decision tree to help producers determine their suitability for adopting and benefiting from VF as well as highlight when producers may need to adapt to realize the full potential of VF. These questions also elucidate when producers may be better served to look to other management approaches or tools rather than investing in VF at this time.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Our goal is to provide realistic expectations of what VF can and cannot do and help producers be well prepared and succeed with deploying and using VF.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 9-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143266865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The economic fundamentals of virtual fencing compared to traditional fencing","authors":"Dana L. Hoag , Ryan Reuter , Daniel F. Mooney , Jeff Vitale , John Ritten , Nathan DeLay , Paul H. Evangelista , Anthony Vorster","doi":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rala.2024.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Virtual fencing (VF) for livestock is being commercialized by several companies in the United States.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Ranchers and land managers are interested in the potential benefits of VF but have reservations about its cost.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Cost structures of VF systems vary and are different from physical fencing, making direct comparisons difficult.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We explore relevant costs and outline scenarios where VF systems are likely to be cost effective.</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>We discuss practical considerations for livestock producers and rangeland managers who are considering adopting VF.</div></span></li></ul></div></div>","PeriodicalId":101057,"journal":{"name":"Rangelands","volume":"47 1","pages":"Pages 92-101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143267051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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