RAPID CITY, SD – Precision agriculture has been around for a number of years, primarily in farming. But that’s changing as applications for ranching come on line. South Dakota State University’s Cottonwood Field Station will host a Precision Ranching Technology Field Day on July 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. MDT.
The field day will be broken up into morning and afternoon sessions — the morning sessions will consist of a field tour of the Cottonwood Field Station and demonstrations of various precision livestock management technology being implemented at the station. The afternoon sessions will be held at the Wall Community Center located at 501 Main St. in Wall and will focus on applications, challenges, benefits and data insights of precision technology for ranch applications.
Jamie Brennan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist, says, “New technologies have enhanced our ability to measure and manage livestock on the landscape, though many of these technologies are in the early stage of adoption. This field day is aimed at producers interested in learning about some of these technologies and how they might be incorporated into a ranch production setting.”
Attendees will leave with increased knowledge of precision livestock management technologies, how data can be used to make management decisions, new products that are coming online and some of the limitations for implementing new technologies on an operation.
The agenda is:
8:30 a.m. – Introduction to the Cottonwood Field Station
9 a.m. – Virtual Fencing Technology: Krista Ehlert, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Range Specialist
9:45 a.m. – Daily Livestock Weighing Technology: Jamie Brennan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist
10:15 a.m. – Enteric Emissions Measurement: Lillian McFadden, SDSU graduate research assistant
10:45 a.m. – Precision Feeding Technology: Anna Dagel, SDSU graduate research assistant
11:15 a.m. – Equipment Discussion and Q & A
1 p.m. – Virtual Fence Software and Data Presentation: Logan Vandermark, SDSU graduate research assistant
1:20 p.m. – What Information Can Daily Weights Tell Us?: Jamie Brennan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist
1:40 p.m. – Applications of Precision Feeding Livestock: Jamie Brennan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist
2 p.m. – Why Enteric Emissions Matter: Hector Menendez, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist
2:20 p.m. – Q & A and Final Discussion
To register, visit the SDSU Extension events page, or https://bit.ly/3O6xs3R. The cost of registration is $20, and lunch will be included. The Cottonwood Field Station is located approximately 19 miles east of Wall along U.S. Highway 14 at 23738 Fairview Road, Philip.
For more information regarding the Precision Ranching Technology Field Day, contact Jameson Brennan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist, at 605-394-2236 or [email protected].
