Potential for information technologies to improve decision making for the southern livestock industries

There have been significant recent investments in remote and precision technologies by a number of companies which may have medium to long term potential to improve management and profitability of grazing enterprises. Key decision points in the operation of grazing businesses were identified and then matched to appropriate technologies. Among the priority areas identified were, the development of zonal management of soil fertility, weed management, coarse stock location for stock security and auditing, fine resolution location for dam off spring and sire dam association, animal health monitoring, and feed quality and quantity assessment. The study also looked in detail at the economic impact on grazing enterprises from having improved knowledge through precision technologies in a number of key decision areas.