Grasslands cover more than half of the Uruguayan territory. The Instituto Plan Agropecuario (IPA), a national extension agency, is implementing a project to systematize and promote good grassland management practices (2021-2025). The project considers the knowledge that ranchers have (tacit knowledge) and thanks to which they have been able to successfully develop in a changing and unpredictable environment. This initiative uses an open innovation framework through 26 "living laboratories" installed in different parts of the country. Through a monitoring and evaluation system, 28 key grassland management practices have been identified, which are classified into five macro-variables, which interact with each other and with the broader context. The macro variables are : infrastructure, strategic productive areas (EPA), grazing management, livestock management, and monitoring system. The rancher is responsible for decision-making. Due to limited cognitive abilities, incomplete information, and the complexity of the context, ranchers often adopt a "satisficing" approach rather than "maximizing" when making decisions. To conclude, a conceptual model was developed that describes the main macro variables related to good grassland management practices. Monitoring these macro-variables would allow ranchers to establish their current situation and co-design a route of action together with ranchers and extension technicians. Paddocking is highlighted in the case of infrastructure, the proportion of improved area in the strategic production areas (EPAs), the proportion of the ranch over 5 cm (PRO5) in the case of grazing management, strategic supplementation for livestock management and the importance of having a monitoring system. The work balance reveals that there are agents who have two hours a day to "think" about the management of macro-variables and there are others who, due to the dedication required by routine work, do not have this possibility. Extension has an important role in promoting learning, through integra ting and sharing different types of knowledge, and reflective processes and group strategies.
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