ESTABLISHED in Norway in 2011 with more than two years of testing on UK farms , Nofence uses a combination of GPS , mobile data network , audio signals and solar power to work with animal behaviour and create a “ virtual pasture ” that can be monitored and moved with a smartphone app .

The Nofence app allows farmers to set virtual pasture boundaries that can be moved within a matter of a few seconds . Livestock wearing Nofence collars can then be turned out into the area to graze with no physical fencing ,” explains Synne Foss Budal , General Manager for Nofence UK .

Weighing 0.7kg for the sheep collar and 1.4kg for the cattle collar , Nofence collars have

integrated solar panels to ensure long-lasting battery life throughout the grazing season . When an animal crosses the Nofence boundary , a three-stage audio warning will sound . If the animal does not turn around when cued with the third stage of audio , it will receive an electric pulse equivalent to 18 % of power from standard electrical fencing . When a collar issues a pulse it immediately sends a pop-up notification to the farmer via the Nofence app with the location of the animal . If the animal continues to move in the wrong direction , it will only receive a maximum of three pulses before it is classed as escaped . Again , the farmer is notified , and the location of the animal is tracked . When the animal crosses back through the boundary to return to the herd , it does not receive

a pulse , with animals typically going back on their own in the rare case of an escape .

“ Instead of cows using their sense of sight to see a physical fence to keep them in , they use their sense of hearing . And it has proven to be very effective ,” explains Miss Budal . “ Through observations of herd behaviour on more than 30,000 head of livestock logging more than 75 million grazing hours , a typical farm will have just one pulse per every 30 audio cues . The app allows farmers to track the number and location of audio signals and pulses given to individual animals to allow them to adjust pasture design if required .

Economic and environmental benefits of managed grazing

According to farm consultant James Daniel , Managing Director for Precision Grazing Ltd , virtual fencing is a game-changing tool that will help to enable widescale adoption of managed grazing techniques . In 2020 , Mr Daniel trialled the Nofence system to validate its suitability for the UK where stocking rates on managed grazing systems often exceed 100 head / ha and animals are moved regularly to new pasture . Since then , he has been working with five different UK livestock farmers on a pilot project to integrate Nofence into a variety of managed grazing systems .

Synne Foss Budal

“ Managed grazing increases the productivity of pastures and livestock by working with the plant ’ s natural growth pattern . If animals are left on a paddock for too long ( set stocked ), plants are ‘ over grazed ’ which leads to low productivity , bare soil , pasture degeneration and reduced forage production which ultimately leads to more expense for the farmer ,” explains Mr Daniel .

The best way to maximise forage production is to give pasture adequate rest periods ( 21-60 days ) in between short grazing events ( 1-3 days ) during

the growing season . This need to move animals often whilst having a flexible rotation length is something virtual fencing can easily enable .

Done correctly , managing grass comes with huge benefits . Work from AHDB has found set stocking to have an annual yield of 6 tonnes DM / ha with 60 % utilisation for a total of 3.6 tonnes DM / ha utilised . When cattle are moved every 2-3 days , utilisation goes up to 75 % for a total of 9 tonnes DM / ha .

“ There are two ways to look at production increase potential . We can keep more animals