New Horizons in AgTech: Scaling innovation in pastoral systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

Agronomic Practices

Technological

2024

Active

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Executive Summary

This project aims to maximize the harvest of forage produced on farms, thus contributing to improving the self-sufficiency and the economic and environmental sustainability of pastoral systems. This results in lower costs, greater resilience to climate variability, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. In both tropical areas like Costa Rica and subtropical and temperate zones like Uruguay and Argentina, forage harvest levels range between 40% and 60% of their potential, presenting a significant opportunity for improvement.

The primary objective of the project is to scale the adoption of the "3RWeb" tool, previously developed in the "Digital innovations for smarter pasture management" project, which has proven to have a positive impact on forage management. This project also seeks to leverage developments generated in other FONTAGRO projects, creating synergies to enhance functionalities and improve technology adoption.

The project focuses on: a) Incorporating new functionalities that optimize decision-making in pasture management, integrating nutrition modules and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimation; b) Training technicians and producers in the participating countries to foster the adoption of the tool, as well as generating training programs for other FONTAGRO member countries; c) Scaling the tool through integration with existing farm management platforms via APIs, leveraging previously developed technological advances to enhance its impact in the region.

The project is funded by the New Zealand Government as part of its contribution to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA).

The technological solution

The technological solution proposed in this project is the expansion of the digital tool "3RWeb," a web-based platform designed to optimize pasture management in pastoral systems. This tool, previously validated in the "Innovation for pasture management" project, facilitates strategic decision-making to maximize forage production and harvest in the region's pastoral systems.

The core objective of the solution is to integrate new functionalities, using a user-centered development approach, that enhance the capabilities of "3RWeb" and adapt it to a broader range of agroclimatic conditions and production types. The solution is structured around three key areas:

Improvements in pasture management decision-making: Modules will be incorporated to estimate the nutritional demand of lactating cows and growing cattle, thus improving the alignment between grass availability and the animals' energy needs. Additionally, this will enable the calculation of the intensity of enteric methane emissions in pastoral systems across LAC.
Integration capabilities with other platforms: Through the development of APIs, "3RWeb" will integrate with existing farm management platforms, facilitating interoperability and improving access to technology for more users in the region. This will allow the solution to scale, making it accessible to a larger number of producers and technicians.
Synergies with FONTAGRO projects: The tool will benefit from advancements generated in other FONTAGRO projects, incorporating technological developments and satellite monitoring data that will allow for more accurate estimation of the quantity and quality of available biomass.

Results

3RWeb v2.0 web app for decision-making support in grazing management and forage reserve optimization for dairy and beef production systems.
Pasture management indicators and benchmarks visualizer.
3RWeb v2.0 tool validated and optimized with input from end-users and producers.
Biomass estimation equations and calibration protocol validated on commercial and experimental farms.
Farms in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Uruguay with estimates of enteric methane emission intensity for animals whose forage harvest levels, and production are known.
Increased number of people trained in the use of the AgTech tool within the three participating countries.
People trained in the implementation of the AgTech tool and the grazing management system in other FONTAGRO member countries.
A decision support system for grazing management and forage reserves that can be integrated into public or private farm management platforms through APIs.

Beneficiaries

Producers and advisors interested in increasing the productivity and profitability of their pasture-based farms.
Agents interested in providing pasture management services for pasture-based farms.
Web-based farm management platforms interested in including the 3RWeb system in their service offerings.