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Fencing is essential for rotational grazing, a pivotal practice to support conservation and natural resource management. Virtual fencing offers a technological alternative to traditional fencing and represents potential for increased resource optimization in rotational grazing. While the virtual fencing industry is emerging in the US, adoption is still limited and research on its benefits and broader implications is still minimal. This exploratory study examined the potential and limitations of virtual fencing products and assessed the conditions that enable ranchers in the Midwest to reap the most benefits from their use in grazing livestock. We conducted qualitative interviews with company representatives bringing virtual fencing to the US market and ranchers piloting them on their livestock operations. Environmental benefits included facilitation of strategically-planned rotational grazing that improves pasture management. Economic benefits included significant savings in time, money, and labor for ranchers. Animal welfare was perceived as positively impacted, with the technology allowing detailed tracking of animal behavior and movement. Challenges included current market capacity to meet demand for virtual fencing products, the costs, and concerns about collar functionalities like GPS accuracy and battery life. The interaction of virtual fencing with existing fencing laws is also uncertain, representing uncharted territory. Overall, while virtual fencing shows promise in revolutionizing livestock management, its adoption is contingent on addressing these multifaceted challenges. The findings provide a roadmap for further investigations pertaining to the use of virtual fencing to facilitate natural resource management and conservation practices, specifically adaptive rotational grazing of livestock.

This comprehensive review delved into the economic and environmental benefits of Digital Agricultural Technologies (DATs) in crop production, synthesising data from 136 peer-reviewed papers and 28 documents with empirical data from relevant EU projects. This analysis highlighted the substantial contribution of DATs across five key categories: Recording and Mapping Technologies (RMT), Guidance and Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) Technologies, Variable Rate Technologies (VRT), Robotic Systems or Smart Machines (RSSM), and Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS). Specifically, it provided an overview of the various benefits that these technologies can deliver with the most significant ones revealing reductions of up to 80 % in fertiliser usage with RMT and CTF applications, while VRT demonstrated a 60 % decrease in fertiliser usage and up to 80 % reduction in pesticide use. VRT also showed an increase in yield by 62 %. RSSM was able to reduce labour by 97 % and diesel consumption by 50 %. FMIS improved yield by 10 % to 15 %, facilitating simultaneous reductions in labour and input costs, illustrating the critical role of integrated digital solutions in enhancing agricultural efficiency and sustainability. From an environmental point of view, VRT has emerged as a major factor in environmental sustainability, demonstrating water savings of 20 % to 50 % in vineyards and pear orchards and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. These findings highlighted the significant benefits of DATs on enhancing productivity and promoting environmental sustainability. They provided a compelling case for further investment and research in DATs through quantifiable benefits in crop production.