Summer Grazing Trials: Utilizing Virtual Fence to Help Identify Opportunities to Reduce Enteric Methane Emissions on Rangelands 

Enteric methane (CH₄) emissions are largely unknown from cattle grazing in extensive rangelands. A big question to answer in this space is if grazing management plans oriented toward producing lower enteric emissions from grazing animals could be a potential option for mitigation of CH₄. The AgNext team is currently conducting research this grazing season that will utilize virtual fencing technology to test if using precision herding management has the potential to reduce enteric CH₄ emissions.

In this study, we will couple virtual fencing and GreenFeed methane measurement technology during the 2024 grazing season (May through September). 120 stocker cattle will be evaluated across two soil-plant communities in a native, perennial grass rangeland environment at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) on the eastern plains of Colorado. AgNext is partnering with USDA-ARS CPER and the Crow Valley Livestock Collaborative, for this project. The aim of this study is to answer the research question: “Can virtual fencing act as a tool for managing individual animal CH emissions?” The experiment will compare enteric CH emissions from cattle in similar pastures using virtual fencing as a grazing management tool to mediate in-pasture herd distribution vs. not using virtual fencing as a grazing management tool where herd distribution is self-selected by the animal.

Grasslands are complex ecosystems that are filled with a variety of plant species and forage options for cattle. Virtual fence allows our researchers to ensure that cattle are grazing where the forage is more suitable, and one can manage their cattle for more maximized grazing capacity. A major focus of this study is to better understand the connections among forage type, availability and CH emissions.

To ensure the herds are utilizing specific plant communities, the research team will utilize virtual fencing technology to physically manage herd distribution. The cattle not using virtual fencing technology will self-select their distribution throughout the pasture.

Once completed, the outcomes of this study will be:

  1. The collection of enteric CH emissions (grams/head/day) for steers grazing low (variable)—and high-productivity shortgrass rangeland
  2. A determination of the utility of virtual fencing to aid emissions mitigation on rangelands
  3. An assessment of animal welfare, animal performance, and cost of the management practice implementation

Through a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant and a Western SARE Professional + Producer Grant, we will continue to evaluate whether variations in enteric CH emissions persist throughout the animal’s life cycle. By combining funding and efforts from these two grants the research team will be able to look at multiple sustainability aspects such as animal performance, animal behavior, enteric emissions, efficacy of precision technology in rangeland, and the stacking potential of climate-smart practices across the animal’s life cycle.

This research was supported by a Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA NRCS, grant number NR233A750011G020.

Animal wearing a virtual fence collar at the USDA ARS Central Plains Experimental Range.
Picture of EJ Raynor, Ph.D.

EJ Raynor, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Picture of Anna Shadbolt

Anna Shadbolt

Grazing Management Outreach and Research Coordinator