Get reliable rangeland science

Digital virtual fence user guide for rangeland management
Author
Dalke, A
Audoin, F
Noelle, S
Lien, A
Publisher
XII International Rangeland Congress
Publication Year
2025
Body

Virtual fence (VF) is an expanding technology used on rangelands around the world. The system uses invisible barriers established by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinates to influence livestock movement without a physical fence. VF systems use a combination of auditory and electrical cues (i.e., beeping noises, benign electrical shocks) that originate from a wearable, GNSS-enabled VF collar. This emerging precision livestock management technology has the potential to change grazing systems b y improving livestock control and distribution. Collars also generate livestock location data, which can provide information about grazing behaviour and support decision-making. Despite these opportunities, VF systems can be complicated and expensive to adopt. To address these challenges, researchers at the University of Arizona and the Southern Arizona Experiment Station have developed a digital Virtual Fence User Guide based on ongoing field trials at the University of Arizona's Santa Rita Experimental Range (Green Valley, Arizona, USA) in collaboration with the Rangelands Partnership (RP) and members of the Virtual Fence Working Group. Available on the RP's Rangelands Gateway (https://rangelandsgateway.org/virtual-fence), the guide includes practical information about VF adoption, learning modules, early adopter videos, recordings and handouts from past webinars, and answers to frequently asked questions. Tools for comparing costs between the various vendors and instructions on how to mobilize a base station to optimize coverage are also available. This comprehensive guide of digital support tools empowers land managers to effectively evaluate and use VF to improve rangeland management.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Additional Information
This paper is part of the larger XII International Rangelands Congress Proceedings. Page Numbers: 636-640. Theme: Theme 3 / Poster presentations – Theme 3
ISSN
978-0-646-72121-7
Conference Name
International Rangeland Congress
Collection
International Rangelands Congress
Keywords
virtual fence
precision agriculture
livestock management
professional development