Managing Rangelands in a Variable Climate
The following fact sheets were prepared for KPCA by Range IQ with support of the Northern Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future DroughtFund.
Advancements in technology play a vital role in assisting with improved integration into current systems, and filling gaps in rangeland management in our variable climate. Working with northern WA producers we have developed tools to assist decision making for managing production, grazing, climate and seasonal variability.
These fact sheets aim to simplify key technology and tools to support management decisions and operational efficiencies for pastoral properties. Whilst these fact sheets aim to assist in understanding, they are not intended to influence decision making.
As part of a collaborative project, KPCA worked with Nyama Buru Yawuru, at Roebuck Plains Station near Broome, to trial various advanced technologies. The trials aimed to test the technologies for use in our region, under our conditions.
*These reviews were undertaken October 2023 – While we strive for accuracy, the KPCA and its stakeholders are not liable for any errors or omissions. As technology is always evolving, the information provided was accurate at the time of publication but may have subsequently changed.
Fact Sheets
Which tool is right for your business
This fact sheet offers an overview of where the tools examined may support decision making, how often the tools may be used, and for which tasks.
AussieGRASS is a pasture growth model that provides long-term time series maps and data of rainfall and pasture growth, seasonal outlooks and fire risk data.
The AFM is a free service to Australian red meat producers that delivers moderate resolution (one hectare) satellite products and graphs at monthly intervals via a personalised online portal. The rolling monthly data is updated every five days and the estimates of pasture levels are generated using a computer algorithm which is continually improved by doing pasture cuts in different land types and regions. It has been developed by Cibo Labs in partnership with Meat &Livestock Australia (MLA).
Cibo Labs PastureKey is a commercial subscription service that delivers high resolution (10m x 10m) satellite products and data at weekly intervals for your property via an online portal. The estimates of pasture levels are generated using a computer algorithm which is continually improved by doing pasture cuts in different land types and regions.
My Climate View is a website designed by the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO with funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. My Climate View is intended to assist Australian farmers and producers to better understand the risks and opportunities facing them over the next 50 years.
Pastoral Remote Sensing is an online platform that estimates and monitors pasture biomass, and shows aerial photography and other satellite imagery-derived products for your property. The platform has been developed by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Landgate.
DR SAT – Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool
DR.SAT is a one-stop-shop for viewing basic satellite imagery, remotely sensed data and climate projections for your property and region. DR.SAT also provides a self-directed questionnaire covering financial, personal, social and environmental indicators. At the end of your self-assessment it provides links to recommended tools and information based on your answers. This on-line tool has been funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Many northern beef producers are aware of NAFI (North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information) as a tool for monitoring fire hotspots and setting up phone alerts for when a fire starts in their district. But NAFI also provides many other opportunities for risk management and record-keeping including the SMERF (Savanna Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting Framework) tool. NAFI is hosted by Charles Darwin University and is managed by the Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research. It can be sourced for free via a website, mobile applications or QGIS plugin.
Paddock Power Mapping Tool & Investment Calculator
Paddock Power is a set of two digital tools to help northern beef producers plan infrastructure development and evaluate the financial merits of your plans. It can assist to calculate the long-term sustainable number of grazing days available at paddock or property levels. The tools were developed by various contractors on behalf of the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism& Trade, with funding from Meat & Livestock Australia.
Managing in Dry Conditions
Conversation with Alejandro Carillo – International Regenerative Rancher:
The KPCA partnered with The Australian Rangelands Society and Rangelands NRM to bring international regenerative rancher, Alejandro Carillo, to the Australian Rangelands Conference Field Day at Roebuck Plains Station on 18 September 2023. Alejandro owns and operates a ranch in Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico, which receives an average of 250mm of rain annually. In this video he shares his experience and insights from his own ranch as well as working with other ranches and pastoralists from Mexico, America and internationally. This project was supported by the Northern Hub through funding from the Future Drought Fund.