Technology Options and Livestock Production Systems

Matrix of Technology Options

As the technology options are in many cases common to a number of sub-systems (e.g. common to both grazing and mixed systems or to mixed and industrial systems), they are described under the single column "Technology" in the matrices below.

Technology Options: Increase Feed Availability Improve Feed Quality Improve Animal Health Decrease Human Health Risk Maintain or Improve Animal Biodiversity Maintain or Improve Plant Biodiversity Increase Farming System Productivity In addition, Good Management Practices constitute a vital component of all of the above options. | Go to the Overview of Technology Options The list of technology options an also be viewed in alphabetical order or by Production System. (Grazing, Mixed, Industrial)

Technology Options to Increase Feed Availability

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Manure management | Land | G, M | Improved soil fertility
Water harvesting and storage | Vegetation | G, M | Increased pasture productivity
Water transport | Land | G, M | Extended grazing area
Boreholes and wells | Land | G, M | Extended grazing area
Land regeneration techniques | Land | G, M | Reduced erosion Improved soil fertility
Mineral fertilisation of Pastures | Land | G, M | Improved soil fertility
Controlled burning | Vegetation | G | Reduced pasture loss
Firebreaks | Vegetation | G | Reduced pasture loss
Use of fire as a tool | Vegetation | G | Reduced pasture loss
Live tree fences and ligneous windbreaks | Vegetation Land | G, M | Controlled grazing Reduced erosion
Improved pruning techniques | Vegetation | G | Improved forage harvesting
Forage crops | Vegetation | G, M | Reduction in pressure on other grazing resources
Introduction of forage plants in pastures | Vegetation | G,M | Increased productivity of "natural" pastures
Reseeding and rehabilitation | Vegetation | G,M | Increased productivity of "natural" pastures
Hay making and silage | Vegetation | G, M, I | Increased seasonal feed availability
Treatment of crop residues and other low quality forage | Vegetation | M | Improved feed quality
Pasture management techniques | Vegetation | G, M | Improved use of available pasture resources
Mixed species herds | Vegetation | G, M | Improved use of available pasture resources

Technology Options to Improve Feed Quality

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Treatment of crop residues and other low quality forage | Vegetation | M | Improved feed quality
Supplementation | Animals | G, M, I | Provision of additional feed, micro-nutrients and other feed additives
Better balanced food supply (Feeding adjustment) | Animals | G, M, I | Increased digestability of feed. Reduced amounts of manure

Technology Options to Improve Animal Health

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Conservation of local livestock breeds | Animals | G, M | Maintained disease resistance
Supplementation | Animals | M, I | Balanced animal nutrition
Water transport | Water | G | Reduced livestock water stress
Borehole and wells | Water | G | Reduced livestock water stress
Improved animal health | Animals | G, M, I | Reduced disease challenge
Improved animal housing | Animals | I | Reduced animal stress Improved manure storage

Technology Options to Decrease Human Health Risk

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Improved manure storage | Water Atmosphere | M, I | Reduced leakage of minerals, ammonia emissions and methane emissions
Manure management | Water Atmosphere | M, I | Reduced leakage of minerals, ammonia emissions and methane emissions
Manure processing | Water Atmosphere | M, I | Reduced leakage of minerals, ammonia emissions and methane emissions
Corralling / stalling | Water | G, M | Reduced animal waste entering river systems
Solid waste recovery and processing (Processing plants) | Water Atmosphere Land | I | Reduced wastewater, reduced BOD value, recovery of solid waste

Technology Options to Maintain or Improve Animal Biodiversity

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Conservation of local breeds | Animals | G, M | Reduced agro-biodiversity loss
Unconventional livestock production | Animals | G | Increased economic value of wildlife and rarer livestock
Mixed species herds | Animals | G, M | Added value to maintaining species diversity
Integration of livestock and wildlfie | Animals | G | Added value to maintaining species diversity Increased economic value of wildlife species

Technology Options to Maintain or Improve Plant Biodiversity

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Controlled burning | Vegetation | G | Increased habitat diversity
Firebreaks | Vegetation | G | Increased habitat diversity
Reafforestation | Vegetation | G | Increased opportunity to reinstate natural vegetation patterns
Tree regeneration protection | Vegetation | G | Improved capacity for natural regeneration
Improved pruning techniques | Vegetation | G | Decreased destruction of natural vegetation
Pasture management techniques | Vegetation | G, M | Increased capacity to maintain a variety of habitats
Unconventional livestock production | Animals | G | Increased capacity to maintain a variety of habitats
Mixed species herds | Animals | G, M | Increased capacity to maintain a variety of habitats

Technology Options to Increase Farming System Productivity

Technology | Resource Base | (G)razing, (M)ixed, (I)ndustrial | Environmental Impact of Applying the Technology
Improved draught animal power | Land | M | Increased capacity to manage arable components
Integrated fish production | Land Water | M, I | Increased use of farm / industrial by-products
Mixed species herds | Animals | G, M | Increased use of farm resources Decreased risks from reliance on single species production
Animal genetic improvement | Animals | G, M, I | Improved transformation rate of feed
Haymaking and silage | Vegetation | M | Increased use of farm resources
Forage crops | Land | M | Increased nutrient flow into cropping systems from leguminous species
Manure management | Water Atmosphere | G, M | Decreased reliance on chemical fertilisers for crop production
Proper manure application to land | Land, Water Atmosphere | M, I | Decreased reliance on chemical fertilisers for crop production. Increased use of farm resources

The list of technology options can also be viewed in alphabetical order or by Production System. (Grazing, Mixed, Industrial)

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