Simulation Approaches Used for Management and Decision Making in the Beef Production Sector: A Systematic Review.

Simulation models are used in various areas of agriculture to better understand the system and assist in decision making. In the beef production sector, a variety of simulation research focusing on various dimensions of the system is available. However, an overview of the available research is lacking. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to provide an overview of simulation studies of beef production and create an understanding of the simulation approaches used. Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest Central research databases were used to search the relevant articles, with the last search conducted in June 2023. Studies that developed or used simulation strategies and used beef cattle as a primary focus of the study were included. The 105 studies included in this review were examined thoroughly to record the authors, year of publication, country of study, type of study, focus area of the study, simulated scenarios, validation methods, and software programs used. There has been growing research interest in simulating beef production systems worldwide, with most studies conducted in North America and Europe. Among these studies, the majority (84.76%, n = 89) are biophysical or bioeconomic study types and use deterministic approaches (n = 42). Additionally, most studies have a whole-farm scope (38.09%, n = 40) and focus on productivity (51.43%, n = 54). Since only less than half of the studies mentioned the validation techniques and software programs used, there is a need to improve the availability of this information to ensure that the models are adopted effectively in decision making.

Exploration of Extension Research to Promote Genetic Improvement in Cattle Production: Systematic Review.

In the cattle industry, tools for genetic improvement play a crucial role in animal selection. The changing circumstances faced by farmers and the significant part agricultural extension plays in these changes must be considered. Despite progress in genetic selection tools and the push for their adoption through extension services, a disconnect persists between the development of new strategies and tools for genetic improvement and their adoption by livestock farmers. This systematic review is designed to globally investigate the methodology and outcomes of extension research aimed at advancing genetic improvement in beef cattle. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted across four databases for studies published from January 2012 to June 2023. Twenty-one articles were selected and reviewed. The research design in the articles predominantly employed mixed methods, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. While social factors are acknowledged as influencers in the adoption process, the application of theories or frameworks from social sciences is still in its early stages. To successfully implement extension activities that promote the use of genetic tools in cattle for a specific production region, more participatory research is required where farmers are actively involved.

Social isolation of unfamiliar cattle by groups of familiar cattle.

Domestic herbivores show a strong motivation to form associations with conspecifics and the social dynamics of any group is dependant on the individuals within the group. Thus, common farm management practices such mixing may cause social disruption. Social integration of new group members has previously been defined as a lack of aggressive interactions within the group. However, a lack of aggression among group members may not represent full integration into the social group. Here we observe the impact of disrupting groups of cattle via the introduction of an unfamiliar individual, on the social network patterns of six groups of cattle. Cattle contacts between all individuals in a group were recorded before and after the introduction of the unfamiliar individual. Pre-introduction, resident cattle showed preferential associations with specific individuals in the group. Post-introduction, resident cattle reduced the strength of their contacts (e.g., frequency) with each other relative to the pre-introduction phase. Unfamiliar individuals were socially isolated from the group throughout the trial. The observed social contact patterns suggest that new group members are socially isolated from established groups longer than previously thought, and common farm mixing practices may have negative welfare consequences on introduced individuals.

Considering appropriate replication in the design of animal social network studies.

Social network analysis has increasingly been considered a useful tool to interpret the complexity of animal social relationships. However, group composition can affect the contact structure of the network resulting in variation between networks. Replication in contact network studies is rarely done but enables determination of possible variation in response across networks. Here we explore the importance of between-group variability in social behaviour and the impact of replication on hypothesis testing. We use an exemplar study of social contact data collected from six replicated networks of cattle before and after the application of a social disturbance treatment. In this replicated study, subtle but consistent changes in animal contact patterns were detected after the application of a social disturbance treatment. We then quantify both within- and between-group variation in this study and explore the importance of varying the number of replicates and the number of individuals within each network, on the precision of the differences in treatment effects for the contact behaviour of the resident cattle. The analysis demonstrates that reducing the number of networks observed in the study would reduce the probability of detecting treatment differences for social behaviours even if the total number of animals was kept the same.

Monitoring Animal Behaviour and Environmental Interactions Using Wireless Sensor Networks, GPS Collars and Satellite Remote Sensing.

Remote monitoring of animal behaviour in the environment can assist in managing both the animal and its environmental impact. GPS collars which record animal locations with high temporal frequency allow researchers to monitor both animal behaviour and interactions with the environment. These ground-based sensors can be combined with remotely-sensed satellite images to understand animal-landscape interactions. The key to combining these technologies is communication methods such as wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We explore this concept using a case-study from an extensive cattle enterprise in northern Australia and demonstrate the potential for combining GPS collars and satellite images in a WSN to monitor behavioural preferences and social behaviour of cattle.