Evaluating Management Strategies and Technology to Improve Grazing Efficiency

Authors

• Thomas E. Aquino, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Mary E. Drewnoski

Second Advisor

Yijie Xiong

Committee Members

Kacie McCarthy, Mitchell B. Stephenson

Date of this Version

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial Fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Animal Science

Under the supervision of Professors Mary E. Drewnoski and Yijie Xiong

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Thomas E. Aquino. Used by permission

Abstract

Increasing land costs and labor constraints continue to challenge beef producers. More intensive practices can increase harvest efficiency; however, many producers are deterred from implementing them due to increased labor and management considerations. Virtual fencing (VF) may provide a reduced labor alternative to traditional fencing for managing intensive grazing. This dissertation evaluated management strategies and VF technology to improve grazing efficiency of stocker cattle systems. In Experiment 1, VF was used to effectively manage groups of steers grazing in adjacent paddocks separated by only virtual boundaries. There was no difference in VF containment (99%) when steers were grazing co-fenced, with other cattle nearby, or isolated. In experiment 2, stocker cattle grazed stockpiled sorghum-sudangrass over winter. The objectives were to compare strip grazing to continuous grazing and evaluate VF as a tool to manage strip grazing. Across 2 years, strip grazing was managed with traditional poly wire fencing or VF and compared to continuous grazing. As expected, continuous grazing had the lowest carrying capacity while strip grazing increased carrying capacity by 24 and 13% in years 1 and 2, respectively. Most notably, there was no difference between traditional electric or virtual fences, indicating that VF is an effective tool to manage strip grazing of stockpiled dormant forages. The final experiment examined the impact of allocation frequency on animal performance and carrying capacity of steers swath grazing sorghum sudangrass over winter. Steers were allocated forage either once or twice weekly. While there was no impact on animal performance, there was a 17% increase in carrying capacity when forage was allocated twice weekly. This increase in carrying capacity can be attributed to a reduction in trampling loss. Collectively, these data suggest that technology and strategic allocation of forages can improve land-use efficiency without compromising animal performance. Additionally, VF provides a practical alternative to physical fencing and may support more adaptive grazing systems while maintaining labor efficiency.

Advisors: Mary E. Drewnoski and Yijie Xiong