Managing forage quality and feed security just received a dual technological boost. Through a newly announced multi-state ranch pilot, Nofence and EarthOptics are combining real-time cattle GPS tracking with high-definition soil mapping. Meanwhile, an international alliance between Alltech and ProGnosis Biotech brings rapid-response mycotoxin monitoring to livestock operations facing weather-driven feed challenges.
Pasture Tech: Virtual Fencing Meets Subsurface Soil Intelligence
Nofence, a pioneer of GPS-based virtual fencing for livestock, and EarthOptics, a soil technology and intelligence company, announced in early November a collaboration to explore how their complementary technologies can create more value for producers. The companies will run an on-ranch pilot through the end of 2026, combining Nofence’s livestock location and grazing-management tools with EarthOptics’ soil data.
The pilots are planned on working ranches in Arkansas and Hawaii across thousands of acres of pastureland. The teams will work with the producers to identify which insights support day-to-day management and where additional data or analysis is needed. The companies may expand the pilot to additional ranches, including in Texas and Nebraska, depending on initial work and producer interest.
“Ranchers don’t need more apps, they need better answers,” says Alex Bell, Nofence U.S. managing director. “Nofence already lets producers monitor and move their livestock without building a single fence. Pairing that with EarthOptics’ view of what’s happening in the soil is a natural fit. This pilot is about proving on a real ranch that two companies working together can deliver more value than either of us could alone.”
During the pilot, the companies will evaluate several use cases:
- Smarter paddocks and rotations: Using soil data to inform where Nofence virtual boundaries are placed and when herds are moved.
- Animal and land insight together: Combining livestock movement data with soil and satellite data to understand grazing pressure and pasture recovery.
- Forward-looking decisions: Exploring whether combined data can improve forage-growth forecasts and grazing recommendations.
- Measuring outcomes: Exploring whether the combined data can improve how soil carbon, productivity and other environmental outcomes are measured, supporting ranchers who take part in supply-chain and ecosystem marketing programs.
“The best grazing decisions come from understanding both the animal and the land,” says James Clement, EarthOptics chief growth officer and president of grass and rangeland. “Our technology helps producers see what’s happening below the surface. Bringing that insight together with Nofence’s virtual fencing and precision livestock management platform means a producer can act on it right away. We’re excited to start on the ground with a rancher who will tell us honestly what works and what doesn’t.”
For more information, visit nofence.net and earthoptics.com.
Feed Security: Alltech and ProGnosis Expand Rapid Mycotoxin Testing
Alltech, a global leader in animal health and nutrition, announces an alliance with ProGnosis Biotech to strengthen its global mycotoxin testing and analysis capabilities. By connecting mycotoxin test results with Alltech RAPIREAD, the collaboration will provide access to data interpretation and actionable insights that support decision-making throughout the feed and livestock value chain.
As mycotoxin risks continue to evolve across regions worldwide, producers and feed manufacturers need access to both rapid testing technologies and localized intelligence to make informed decisions. The collaboration between Alltech and ProGnosis is designed to strengthen mycotoxin monitoring and risk-management capabilities while delivering actionable insights that support the industry globally.
Agriculture continues to face increasing pressure from changing weather patterns, as periods of drought, heat stress and excessive rainfall influence crop quality and create conditions that favor mycotoxin development.
While the alliance between Alltech and ProGnosis has a global scope, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will be the primary focus of the initial phase, given the region’s growing mycotoxin challenges and the opportunity to harness the complementary strengths of both companies.
“Alltech RAPIREAD allows users to understand their true mycotoxin risk as it relates to animal performance and health,” says Dr. Alexandra Weaver, Alltech global technical support. “The collaboration between Alltech and ProGnosis gives those in the agricultural industry the ability to not only test for mycotoxins but also gain insights about their data.”
“ProGnosis Biotech is dedicated to the development of fast and simple testing solutions to ensure food safety throughout the supply chain,” says Sebastien Poisson, business development manager at ProGnosis. “Integrating ProGnosis Biotech’s rapid lateral flow test strips into Alltech’s RAPIREAD platform seamlessly fuses ProGnosis’ readers with Alltech’s global risk-management platform, combining rapid testing with automated trend and risk analysis.”
For more information, visit knowmycotoxins.com/mycotoxin-detection/alltech-rapiread.
