Division of Food Production and Society
Techgraze – Integrating Advanced Technologies for Enhance Grazing Practices in Norway
End: dec 2029
Start: dec 2025
In Norway, a declining grazing pressure and farm abandonment have led to undesirable ecological and socio-economic outcomes. The TechGraze project aims to address these challenges by integrating Virtual Fencing (VF) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies to enhance pasture-based livestock management.
Project participants
Grete H. M. Jørgensen Junxiang Peng Lise Grøva Valborg Kvakkestad Vibeke Lind Jakob Geipel Inger Hansen Kristian Rindal Jiangsan Zhao Mari Vold Hansen Pedro Gonçalves, UA Tony Waterhouse, SRUC Francesco Fava, UniMi
| Status | Active |
| Start - end date | 31.12.2025 - 30.12.2029 |
| Project manager | Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e |
| Division | Division of Food Production and Society |
| Department | Grassland and Livestock |
| Partners | Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service (NLR), Monil AS, Felleskjøpet Rogaland Agder, Norsk sau og geit, Nofence, Tine SA |
| Total budget | 15 950 000 NOK |
Norwegian ruminant production is currently dominated by intensive systems that rely heavily on imported concentrate feeds, leading to suboptimal utilization of grasslands and locally grown feed sources. Grassland-based ruminant production presents a sustainable alternative, offering economic and environmental benefits. In Norway, the dairy and sheep industries constitute a significant part of the agricultural sector, contributing to rural economies, biodiversity conservation, and food security. However, declining grazing pressure and farm abandonment have led to undesirable ecological outcomes.
The TechGraze project aims to address these challenges by integrating Virtual Fencing (VF) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies to enhance pasture-based livestock management. Virtual Fencing allows for dynamic livestock control without physical barriers. Remote Sensing technologies (satellite and drone) allow monitoring of forage availability (quantity and quality) and pasture conditions. The combination of these technologies offers enhanced decision-making strategies for grazing management beyond what either technology could achieve independently.
TechGrazeʼs goals include promoting adaptive grazing management practices, improving monitoring of animals and forage, and precisely allocating forage to livestock, all aimed at fostering environmental sustainability of the industry. TechGraze represents a transformative approach,combining traditional practices with technological advancements. The project will explore the effectiveness of VF in controlled grazing (WP1), assess RS capabilities in pasture monitoring (WP2), integrate both technologies for decision making in sustainable grazing management (WP3), and conduct a cost-benefit analysis alongside farmer requirements (WP4).
Through these innovative approaches, TechGraze seeks to modernize Norwayʼs grazing sector, making it more sustainable while enhancing food security and supporting the rural economy.
