Abstract #691

# 691
BeefTracker mobile app for tracking and analysis of beef herd pasture use and location.
James W. Oltjen*1, Larry C. Forero1, Jeffrey W. Stackhouse1, 1University of California, Davis, CA.

We have developed a web-based mapping platform named “BeefTracker” to provide beef cattle ranchers a tool to demonstrate that cattle production fits within sustainable ecosystems and to provide regional data to update beef sustainability lifecycle analysis. After initial identification and mapping of pastures, herd data (class and number of animals) are input on a mobile device in the field with a graphical pasture interface, stored in the cloud, and linked via the web to a personal computer for inventory tracking and analysis. Pasture use calculated on an animal basis provides quantifiable data regarding carrying capacity and subsequent beef production to provide more accurate data inputs for beef sustainability lifecycle analysis. After initial testing by university range scientists and ranchers, we have enhanced the BeefTracker application to improve automation for increased ease of use. The following have been added: ability to access and edit the BeefTracker livestock inventory while disconnected from Wi-Fi and cell service; ability to represent portions of a pasture in BeefTracker as irrigated and non-irrigated; ability to report animal unit harvest (by pasture) calculated on an annual basis–this will provide quantifiable data regarding carrying capacity and subsequent beef production to provide more accurate data inputs for the beef sustainability lifecycle analysis; enhanced map synchronization; and improved security to allow a single individual to access multiple livestock operations without needing multiple user ids and passwords. We are now in the process of education to increase its use.

Key Words: cloud data storage, graphical interface, animal mapping