CQUniversity's Dr Dave Swain has showcased our growing capability and leadership in precision livestock management research, by presenting the prestigious 'Harry Stobbs keynote talk' in Armidale recently...

This renowned keynote is part of the biennial Australian Society of Animal Production conference.

Dr Dave Swain (centre) with UNE Precision Agricultural Research Group's Dr Mark Trotter and Meat and Livestock Australia northern program manager Rodd Dyer

"Professor Harry Stobbs was recognised nationally and internationally for his contributions to our understanding of the plant/animal interaction, particularly his work on understanding grazing behaviour on different sward types in the tropical environment," Dr Swain said.

With the advance in the use of technology to better understand animal behaviour, Dr Swain's presentation entitled 'GPS tracking, are we still lost?' explored some of the challenges we face in interpreting spatial behavioural data.

"As remote automated monitoring becomes more readily available, researchers need to be mindful of how it is used, in particular ensuring robust experimental design isn't compromised," Dr Swain said.

He demonstrated how GPS data can be linked with remote sensing using landscape preference indices to build a more detailed picture of the drivers that determine how animals use the environment.

"A better understanding of behavioural selection and adaptation to a changing environment will allow better management intervention strategies," he said.

Dr Swain hopes that linking his work with the resource economic expertise in our Centre for Environmental Management will enable a more detailed economic and environmental assessment of livestock enterprises in the rangelands of northern Australia.