Improving grassland use via new technologies.

Summary Grasslands can help provide solutions to the current economic and environmental challenges faced by livestock farmers. Farmers have high standards as they seek out methods for improving grassland management and forage system security. In the 1980s, a variety of tools were developed to facilitate and enhance grazing management. Today, they are little used because they are often time intensive, difficult to employ, and expensive. Recently developed measurement and communication tools (e.g., WIFI-enabled smartphones and tablets with integrated bluetooth and GPS technologies) show great potential in helping farmers manage their grasslands with greater efficacy and precision. In the intermediate term, remote sensing and access to high-resolution images from satellites or drones present new possibilities.