South Australia’s first virtual fencing trial involving cattle has demonstrated its potential to deliver significant environmental benefits through successfully protecting an area of Eucalyptus saplings along a water course from being grazed on a commercial farm.
In the trial conducted at Eden Valley by CSIRO, twenty Santa Gertrudis heifers were fitted with Agersens eShepherd® pre-commercial neckband prototype which trained the cattle to respond to an audio cue as they approached a virtual fence line within a 14-ha wire-fenced paddock.
This promising result demonstrates the potential of virtual fencing technology to deliver various NRM outcomes for graziers, including: keeping animals out of other environmentally sensitive areas (e.g. riparian zones, fragile soils), reduced overgrazing and erosion, and improved maintenance of groundcover and weed control.
CSIRO’s scientific publication of the full trial results can be found here.
The Barossa Improved Grazing Group also produced a 2-page case study of the trial results, which can be found here.
Agersens eShepherd® virtual fencing system is yet to be commercialised.
