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Publikasjoner

NIBIOs ansatte publiserer flere hundre vitenskapelige artikler og forskningsrapporter hvert år. Her finner du referanser og lenker til publikasjoner og andre forsknings- og formidlingsaktiviteter. Samlingen oppdateres løpende med både nytt og historisk materiale. For mer informasjon om NIBIOs publikasjoner, besøk NIBIOs bibliotek.

2023

Sammendrag

Rapporten presenterer resultater fra en intervjuundersøkelse blant småskala grøntprodusenter i Troms og Finnmark, samt representanter for ulike salgskanaler. Målet var å kartlegge markedsmessige muligheter og utfordringer for småskala grøntproduksjon i landets nordligste fylke. Det er underdekning på potet og grønnsaker i Troms og Finnmark. Produsentmiljøet er lite. For å snu denne utvikling anbefales en satsning på småskalaproduksjon, i tillegg til volumproduksjon. Undersøkelsen viser fremtidstro blant småskala grøntprodusenter, og god markedsadgang. Samtidig opplever produsentene at klimatiske forhold, mangel på produsentnettverk, lange avstander og små markeder, manglende infrastruktur, begrenset innpass i dagligvare, tidspress, lav lønnsomhet og mangel på offentlig støtte skaper utfordringer for næringa. Det er grunn til å anta at særskilte produksjonsmessige (kort vekstsesong og kaldt klima) og markedsmessige (lange avstander og små produsentmiljøer og markeder) som preger landsdelen, gjør utfordringene mer krevende for produsenter i nord enn lenger sør. Rapporten anbefaler at tiltak for å styrke småskala grøntproduksjon i Troms og Finnmark inkluderer å (i) sikre produsentene gode økonomiske betingelser, (ii) tilby veiledning og kurs og (iii) legge til rette for samarbeid og produsentnettverk, spesielt innen markedsføring og salg. Forprosjektet bør følges opp med forskning som blant annet undersøker (i) avlingsvolum og hvilken rolle småskala grøntproduksjon kan spille for regional selvforsyning, (ii) kostnader forbundet med produksjon og salg, samt potensialet for omsetning, (iii) ulike former for produsentsamarbeid og (iv) hvordan nordlig klima påvirker kvaliteten av ulike plantevekster.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Virtual fencing systems have emerged as a promising technology for managing the distribution of livestock in extensive grazing environments. This study provides comprehensive documentation of the learning process involving two conditional behavioral mechanisms and the documentation of efficient, effective, and safe animal training for virtual fence applications on nursing Brangus cows. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) animals would learn to avoid restricted zones by increasing their use of containment zones within a virtual fence polygon, and (2) animals would progressively receive fewer audio-electric cues over time and increasingly rely on auditory cues for behavioral modification. Data from GPS coordinates, behavioral metrics derived from the collar data, and cueing events were analyzed to evaluate these hypotheses. The results supported hypothesis 1, revealing that virtual fence activation significantly increased the time spent in containment zones and reduced time in restricted zones compared to when the virtual fence was deactivated. Concurrently, behavioral metrics mirrored these findings, with cows adjusting their daily travel distances, exploration area, and cumulative activity counts in response to the allocation of areas with different virtual fence configurations. Hypothesis 2 was also supported by the results, with a decrease in cueing events over time and increased reliance with animals on audio cueing to avert receiving the mild electric pulse. These outcomes underscore the rapid learning capabilities of groups of nursing cows in responding to virtual fence boundaries.

Sammendrag

LoRa-WAN sensors were used to compare methods for determining walking distances by grazing cattle in near real-time. The accuracy of relying on a global positioning system (GPS) alone or in combination with motion data derived from triaxial accelerometers was compared using stationary control trackers (Control) placed in fixed field locations (n=6) or vs. trackers (Animal) mounted on cows (n=6) grazing on pasture at the New Mexico State University’s Clayton Livestock Research Center. Trackers communicated motion data at 1-minute intervals and GPS positions at 15-minute intervals for seven days. Daily distance walked was determined using: 1) raw GPS data (RawDist), 2) data with erroneous GPS locations removed (CorrectedDist), or 3) data with erroneous GPS locations removed and with GPS data associated with the static state excluded (CorrectedDist_Act). Distances were analyzed via one-way ANOVA to compare Control vs. Animal deployment effects. No difference (P=0.43) in walking distance was detected between Control vs. Animal for RawDist. However, distances calculated for CorrectedDist differed (P<0.01) between the two tracker deployments. Due to the random error of GPS measurements, CorrectedDist for stationary devices differed (P=0.01) from zero. The walking distance calculated by CorrectedDist_Act differed (P<0.01) between Control vs. Animal trackers, with distances for Control trackers not differing (P=0.44) from zero. The fusion of GPS and accelerometer data was a more suitable method for calculating walking distance by grazing cattle. This result may highlight the value of combining more than one source of independent sensor data in Precision Livestock Farming applications.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Objective: Precision livestock farming technologies show great promise for the management of extensive, arid rangelands, but more practical knowledge is needed to allow ranchers to determine potential applications and limitations for adoption. We tested a long-range wide area network (LoRa-WAN) precision livestock system over 3 mo (April–June 2020) in a ranch in southwest New Mexico, USA. The system monitors cattle position and movements, precipitation, and water trough water levels at pasture and ranch scales, in real time. Materials and Methods: Here we describe the components of the system and share what we have learned from our preliminary experiences. This system included a solar-power LoRa-WAN receiving station with the corresponding gateway, radio frequency antenna (824–894 MHz), and Wi-Fi bridge for data transmission into the Internet. The testbed network for testing LoRa-WAN sensors included 43 GPS-trackers deployed on lactating beef cows and 2 environmental sensors used to monitor precipitation regimens and trough water levels, respectively. Results and Discussion: The system collected data consistently for the trough levels and precipitation, whereas data from the cow GPS-trackers was highly heterogeneous. On average, 46 ± 4% of daily data packets logged by GPS-trackers were successfully transmitted through the LoRa-WAN system, exceeding 80% of successful transmission in several cases. This report documents the necessary infrastructure, performance, and maintenance of system components, which could be of significant information value to ranchers and researchers with a desire to deploy similar monitoring systems. Implications and Applications: This Technical Note documents the implemetation of a LoRa-WAN monitoring system at the ranch scale for a 3-mo period. The system has allowed the ranch manager and assisting staff to efficiently manage cattle inventories and promptly address animal welfare concerns. However, further research is required to assess the scalability of this system across commercial operating cattle ranches in the Southwest United States, thereby unlocking its potential for broader adoption and effect.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Virtual fencing is a promising alternative to contain livestock dispersal without using physical barriers. This technology uses smart-wearable collars that deliver predictable warning tones to animals when they approach virtual boundaries paired with mild electric pulses. Virtual fencing allows for dynamic management of livestock grazing, based on site-specific variations in the quality and quantity of forages. However, several factors can affect the efficacy of virtual fencing, including the length of prior experience with virtual fencing, climatic conditions, forage availability inside and outside virtual fencing paddocks and collar configuration schedules. Lactation requirements and social interactions between collared cows and uncollared calves can also influence the efficacy of the technology. Virtual fencing trials were conducted at the New Mexico State University’s Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center from August 27 to December 21 of 2022 to evaluate the efficacy of virtual fencing to manage rangeland cows during late lactation and following weaning. Twenty-six Brangus cows previously trained to use NoFence C2 collars (NoFence, Batnfjordsøra, Norway), were monitored for 30 days during late lactation and 28 days after weaning. Collared cows and uncollared calf pairs were allocated to four virtual fence pastures in late lactation and after weaning, with pasture duration (4.2 ± 0.6 d), size (72 ± 19 ha) and perimeter (4,523 ± 352 m) varying according to forage availability and access to fresh drinking water. Audio cues, electric pulses and ratio of electric pulses to audio cues before and after weaning were compared by ANOVA in a Completely Randomized Design replicated across pre-weaning and post-weaning pastures (n = 8). The average number of electric pulses per cow was greater (P < 0.0004) for pre-weaning (3.7 ± 0.2) than for post-weaning post-weaning (1.6 ± 0.3) pastures. The number of audio warnings per cow was also greater (P < 0.0001) for pre-weaning (52 ± 3.3) than post-weaning (34 ± 3.3) pastures. Conversely, cows had decreased (P < 0.0001) ratios of electric pulses relative to audio tones on post-weaning (4.8 ± 0.5%) than pre-weaning (7.0 ± 0.8%) pastures. These results suggest that cows responded better to virtual fencing after weaning, likely because weaned cows were no longer affected by social interactions with uncollared calves. Furthermore, cows after weaning apparently relied on warning tones and fewer electric pulses to interact safely with virtual fences. However, it is important to note that sources of variation not accounted for or controlled by the present experimental design may have also affected the recorded interactions with virtual fences in the present study.