Virtual-fencing for Tasmanian dairy farms

Grant Criteria

Through this research project students will research the application of virtual-fencing to intensive grazing systems and study a cutting edge technology.

Tasmania’s pasture-based dairy and beef sectors continue to intensify. This means cattle are being managed in fewer but larger herds. The state has the largest dairy herd sizes in Australia. Recruitment and retention of labour is one of the biggest challenges faced by the livestock industries. Over 84% of Tasmanian dairy farmers have reported difficulty recruiting staff, and ≥70% difficulty in retaining staff. To be sustainable, the growth of intensified pasture systems requires careful management of the resource base, including the people, environment, and animals involved.

Virtual-fencing (VF) is a disruptive technology, a game-changer, that can help mitigate the risks of intensified pastoral dairy production while improving farming productivity and profitability. The technology manages grazing cattle behind a ‘virtual boundary’ that has been set via GPS by using audio and electrical cues, rather than physical fencing. Potential uses of VF include movement of cows to and from the dairy, precise and automated grazing allocations, temporary or permanent exclusion of cattle from specific locations, and management of several mobs of cattle. These applications can contribute positively to the sustainability and profitability of the dairy industry by (1) reducing labour, (2) attracting and retaining future farming leaders, (3) improving cow health through better controlled pasture-based nutrition, (4) enhancing animal productivity and efficiencies by controlling livestock movement at a sub-herd level, (5) optimising the quantity and quality of homegrown feed-base without increased inputs (e.g., fertiliser), and (6) contributing to environment stewardship through the exclusion of cows from waterways.

This project will explore the value proposition of virtual-fencing technology in commercial settings as well as in the controlled research environment at TIA’s Dairy Research Facility (TDRF). The successful applicant will become part of a world-leading research team in terms of the application of virtual-fencing to intensive grazing systems and study a cutting edge technology. By doing so they will contribute to the development of sustainable livestock systems in Tasmania and abroad.

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend of $32,192 per annum (2024 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)