Contract for the Provision of SCF0218 (GrasTech)

Cattle farmers are facing increased demand for pasture-based and environmentally friendly products. Although feeding strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been studied intensively, options for grazing systems are under-researched. The overall objective of the wider European project is to develop grazing strategies and sensor systems to reduce GHG emission intensity from grazing cattle. Greenhouse gas emissions from grazing cattle are generally higher and more variable than those from housed cattle because of the inherent variability of herbage and the reduced opportunity to monitor and manage diets. A range of imaging and sensing technologies are being used increasingly to monitor and manage resources in a wide range of farming systems. In the livestock sector, it has been easier to implement these 'precision livestock farming' (PLF) technologies with housed animals. The same technical constraints have also meant that there are no simple and reliable ways to estimate methane emissions from grazing cattle. UK work within the wider project will address development of PLF technology for use with grazing cattle.