“The next leap in northern beef won’t come from more cattle – it will come from smarter, crush-side decisions based on what the cow is actually telling us.”

A Queensland cattle producer and rural nurse is calling for a step change in how northern beef herds are managed, highlighting the potential for emerging bovine technologies to lift productivity, improve animal welfare and reduce labour pressure across extensive production systems.

In her Nuffield Australia report, Emerging Bovine Tech for the Northern Australian Beef Industry, 2024 Scholar Kylie Braes explores practical, low-cost diagnostic tools that provide real-time information at the crush. Supported by AACo, S. Kidman & Co., Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) and Elders, her research examines rapid hormone testing, nutrient indicators, phosphorus assessment, nitrogen-efficiency traits and next-generation wearables, boluses and smart sensors.

Kylie was inspired after modifying a handheld medical i-STAT machine for use in cattle. By running crush-side blood tests, she was able to see real-time metabolic and health data that traditional soil, grass or dung sampling did not fully capture.

Kylie, from Toolebuc Station near McKinlay in north-west Queensland, trialled portable blood analysers to capture instant health and nutritional data—an approach she believes will help producers make earlier, more confident decisions in large, low-labour environments.

She also emphasises the growing importance of frontline baseline data as producers face increasing expectations around carbon accounting, sustainability reporting and Net Zero pathways. “Reliable, animal-level data will underpin future carbon credits, emissions benchmarking and market access. Without baseline information, producers risk being left behind as supply chains tighten their requirements,” Kylie said.

Her report also highlights global advances in nitrogen-efficient cattle, offering opportunities to reduce feed costs and methane emissions while maintaining productivity in northern herds.

“For northern Australia, we need simple tools that work in dust, heat and low-connectivity environments, while helping producers make even smarter decisions and pay for themselves within a breeding cycle,” Kylie said.

Kylie presented her findings at the 2025 Nuffield Australia National Conference in Adelaide, outlining how emerging diagnostics can support a new era of “precision pastoralism” across northern industries.

Her full report is available on the Nuffield Australia website.