The effectiveness of virtual fencing to re-distribute grazing pressure across topography classes in a north Australian rangeland for land condition and drought resilience outcomes

Abstract

The selective grazing behaviours of cattle often lead to degradation of preferred areas, reducing land condition and productivity. Virtual fencing (VF) is being tested to control cattle grazing distributions in extensively managed herds in northern Australia. By redistributing grazing pressure, VF could enable increased rest in overgrazed areas and increased utilisation of less preferred areas that would otherwise have limited productive value and be a fire risk. Baseline location results indicate that cattle preferred flat plains over all other topographies. Baseline pasture results indicate that the lowest proportion of 3P (perennial, palatable, and productive) pastures occur in the flat plains, which is likely associated with historical overgrazing. Preliminary findings suggest that VF can successfully alter grazing patterns, reducing pressure on flat plains and thus potentially promote recovery in these areas. This outcome is promising for land condition management, as it addresses the tendency of cattle to overgraze preferred areas. The study highlights the potential of VF to improve land condition and drought resilience outcomes in northern rangelands. However, challenges remain in managing the complex mosaic nature of topography. Continued implementation of VF in the experiment is expected to improve land condition, carrying capacity, and drought resilience. VF could become a valuable tool for managing grazing impacts, improving year-to-year production, and achieving environmental and economic goals in the extensive grazing systems of northern Australia.