Enhancing climate change resiliency and environmental sustainability of the livestock industry through the use of innovative technology and rotational grazing practices

奥尔兹学院（阿尔伯塔）自1999年以来一直是应用研究领域的领导者，开展以市场为中心的项目，以加强农业、园艺、土地和环境管理方面的创新。奥尔兹学院畜牧生产TAC旨在提高生产效率和环境可持续性。旨在提高牧场生产力和优化支持替代放牧做法的工具/技术的ARTP项目将利用TAC的研究专长，在两个总体主题下促进植物多样性，改善土壤健康和牛的营养：提高牧场生产力和环境可持续性。验证碳监测技术以增加获得碳信用计划的机会不断上升的生产成本迫使小牛生产者不断提高效率。由于饲料占养牛成本的70%，在同样的土地上生产更多的牧草（饲料）可以增加利润。作为一种对环境无害的传统肥料替代品，一种被称为植物生长促进菌（PGPB）的土壤添加剂在初步研究中表现良好，可以将饲料产量提高约100%，并提高饲料质量和土壤健康。将对PGPB进行评估，同时建立一个高豆科牧草林，作为提高牧场生产力的工具。阿尔伯塔的大部分原生草原都有管理不善和过度放牧的历史。轮牧可以成功地支持牧场的复兴，促进土壤中的碳捕获——这是环境的胜利。TAC将验证两种进入碳抵消项目的技术。第一个项目将测量改善放牧管理后土壤碳的变化，为进一步开发这项技术提供必要的数据，并使牧场主能够因采用有助于在土壤中储存碳的做法而获得补偿。第二个将远程验证放牧的做法。一家航空航天公司将利用新型光学技术和小型卫星提供来自太空的图像。这项研究将允许SME校准和验证一种专有算法，以远程验证放牧实践，这一过程将减少对碳信用计划检查员前往现场的昂贵依赖。奥尔兹学院很高兴与四阿尔伯塔省的中小企业合作，以解决加拿大西部过度放牧的牧场问题，并提供有影响力的成果，加速合作伙伴的创新商业化。

Olds College (Alberta), a leader in applied research since 1999, carries out market-focused projects to enhance innovation in agriculture, horticulture, land and environmental management. The Olds College TAC for Livestock Production aims to advance production efficiencies and environmental sustainability. ARTP projects to improve productivity of grazing land and optimize tools/technologies that support alternative grazing practices will draw on TAC research expertise to boost plant diversity, enhance soil health and cattle nutrition under two overarching themes:1. Improve pasture productivity and environmental sustainability2. Validate carbon monitoring technologies to increase access to carbon credit programsRising production costs force cow-calf producers to continually increase efficiency. As feed accounts for 70% of the cost of raising cattle, producing more forage (feed) on the same amount of land can increase profits. As an environmentally sound alternative to conventional fertilizer, a soil additive called plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) performed well in preliminary studies, increasing forage production by approximately 100% with added benefits of improved forage quality and soil health. PGPB will be evaluated alongside the establishment of a high legume forage stand as tools to increase pasture productivity. Large portions of Alberta native grasslands have a history of poor management and overgrazing. Rotational grazing could successfully support pasture rejuvenation and promote carbon capture in the soil-a win for the environmental. TAC will validate two technologies for accessing carbon-offset programs. The first will measure changes in soil carbon as a result of improved grazing management, providing necessary data to further develop this technology and enable ranchers to be compensated for adopting practices that help store carbon in soils. The second will remotely verify grazing practices. An aerospace company will provide imagery from space using novel optical technology and small satellites. This research will allow the SME to calibrate and validate a proprietary algorithm to remotely verify grazing practices, a process that will reduce costly reliance on carbon credit program inspectors to travel to sites. Olds College is excited to work with four Alberta-based SMEs to address overgrazed pastures in Western Canada and deliver impactful results that accelerate partners toward innovation commercialization.