Innovation for pasture management

Executive Summary

Harvested Forage in the production systems of Latin America and the Caribbean is very low in relation to their potential. In tropical areas, such as Costa Rica, the production of dry matter (DM) of the main forage species ranges between 10 and 25 t DM / ha / year, but on average the animals consume less than 45 % of the available pasture. In temperate zones, such as Uruguay, forage production on average is 4.5 t DM / ha / year, when the potential is at least 10 t DM / ha / year. In Argentina it is estimated that between 2 and 4 t DM / ha / year are harvested, while the potential is up to 15 t DM / ha / year. Improving the production and consumption levels of grass on the farm requires easily adopted grazing management technologies that allow optimizing the use of grass in quantity and quality throughout the year. The objective of this project is to improve the self-sufficiency and sustainability of livestock production by increasing the grass harvest produced on family farms in Uruguay, Argentina and Costa Rica by at least 30 % through the use of drones and decision support platforms. The development of this technology implies the implementation of a resident service in the cloud, accessible via web or app, that collects information from each farm (users), processes it, develops management indicators, and visualizes grazing decisions. The proposed solution aims to: a) simplify and optimize the decision-making in real time of the sequence of paddocks to be grazed, the necessary subdivisions, the required grazing time, the area to be harvested mechanically and the optimal date for doing what; and b) automate biomass measurement by using easily adopted remote measurement devices.

The technological solution

Implement a resident service in the cloud, user friendly, and accessible via web with a browser or through an app for computers and smartphones, which with the use of drones and simulation models allow optimizing the management of paddocks and increasing forage production.

Results

Beneficiaries

• Direct beneficiaries: 200 producers and technicians in Uruguay, Argentina and Costa Rica.
• Indirect beneficiaries: 4.000 farmers will have access to new technologies developed through knowledge transfer and dissemination. 

Sustainable Development Goals

Main donors

Dissemination products