Article Summary: Effective pasture management is essential for getting the most out of your farm, but finding the right grass measurement tool can be challenging. There are so many methods out there! This guide breaks down the pros and cons of traditional tools like eyeball assessments, quadrant cuts, and plate meters, alongside advanced solutions like drones and satellite imagery. Pasture.io's innovative satellite-based technology and data-driven insights offer an efficient, hands-off approach. Supported by Australian government SmartFarm initiatives, we empower farmers to reduce guesswork, manage pasture growth accurately, and achieve better results with minimal labour!
Effective pasture management can make all the difference in farm productivity and animal performance. With grass being a key feed source, knowing how much pasture is available allows for better planning, improved grazing practices, and healthier livestock. But with so many tools on the market, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This guide will break down the options and their pros and cons to help you decide how best to measure your grass.
The Importance of Grass Measurement
Grass growth fluctuates based on rainfall, season, soil quality, and grazing patterns. Accuracy measurements aren’t just a luxury—it’s necessary if you want to optimise pasture use, plan for droughts, and manage stocking rates. Whether you’re a farmer just starting to track growth or an experienced grazier fine-tuning your strategy, the right tool can significantly impact your farm’s efficiency.
Available tools and how they stack up
Here's an overview of the common pasture measuring tools, starting with the simplest and working up to advanced technology.
1. No Action – Ignoring the data
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Overview: Choosing not to measure grass may feel simpler, but leads to lost opportunities. Without data, it’s impossible to know whether you’re achieving pasture growth.
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Pros: None.
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Cons: Missed profitability, lack of insight into pasture productivity.
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Suitability: It’s hard to know where to improve if you're not measuring.
2. Eyeball Technique – Quick but limited
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Overview: Walking or driving around the farm and visually assessing grass height is better than nothing, but this method leaves a lot of potential untapped.
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Pros: Fast, requires no equipment.
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Cons: Lacks precision; subjective; can’t provide reliable data for planning.
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Suitability: Suitable for small farms or as a temporary measure while deciding on a more robust tool.
3. Quadrant Cut – Precision for research
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Overview: This method is common in research. By cutting a quadrant of pasture and weighing dry matter, you can get an accurate measurement.
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Pros: High precision.
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Cons: Slow, labour-intensive; not practical for large farms.
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Suitability: Best for researchers or farms needing detailed insight on a small scale.
4. Probe – Inconsistent, especially in wet conditions
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Overview: This tool requires walking transects across paddocks, taking multiple readings. Probes can vary significantly in consistency, especially if the ground is wet.
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Pros: Moderate level of accuracy.
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Cons: Time-consuming; can produce inconsistent results.
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Suitability: Limited utility on commercial farms where rapid data is needed.
5. Grassometer – New, unknown success rate
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Overview: The Grassometer takes multiple readings using optical sensors. It’s a newer option with potential but hasn’t yet proven itself as a go-to solution.
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Pros: Potentially better than older devices.
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Cons: Slow; causes operator fatigue.
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Suitability: Still largely experimental; not widely used yet.
6. Rising Plate Meter – Reliable but labour-intensive
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Overview: The rising plate meter is popular for its consistency. By walking across the paddocks, farmers can take repeated, relatively accurate measurements.
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Pros: Consistent data.
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Cons: Labour-intensive; slow.
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Suitability: Works well for those willing to invest the time, especially for smaller farms.
7. Rapid Plate Meter – Quick but needs more testing
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Overview: Towed behind a vehicle, this tool takes rapid measurements and offers a middle ground between speed and consistency.
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Pros: Quicker than manual meters.
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Cons: Not fully tested in all farming environments.
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Suitability: For those interested in exploring new technology but prepared for potential challenges.
8. Pasture Reader – Efficient on flat land
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Overview: Mounted on a vehicle, the Pasture Reader provides quick data but struggles on hilly or uneven land.
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Pros: Fast on flat paddocks.
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Cons: Limited on undulating terrain.
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Suitability: Farms with flatter land can benefit most.
9. C-Dax Pasture Meter – Reliable but weather-dependent
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Overview: Commonly towed on a quad, the C-Dax Pasture Meter is quick and effective in dry weather. Wet conditions, however, can reduce its reliability.
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Pros: Efficient and widely used.
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Cons: Weather-sensitive.
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Suitability: A solid choice for many farms; well-established in the field.
10. Drone Imagery – Versatile but limited by regulations
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Overview: Drones can capture regular data and are used in on-farm applications, but regulations and battery life can be limiting.
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Pros: Frequent readings, other on-farm uses.
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Cons: Affected by regulations and weather.
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Suitability: Best for tech-savvy farms with resources to manage compliance.
11. Satellite Imagery – Labour-free and consistently accurate
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Overview: Satellite imagery offers grass measurements that require no manual work and deliver consistent, wide-scale data.
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Pros: Zero labour, broad coverage, accurate insights across paddocks.
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Cons: Minimal limitations, thanks to ongoing advances.
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Suitability: Farms of all sizes looking for a hands-off, reliable solution.
Why Pasture.io stands out
It’s the key to your farming success
Choosing the right pasture measurement tool is ultimately about finding a balance between accuracy, ease of use, and consistency. For many farmers, traditional tools are helpful but limited in scope. Pasture.io’s satellite-based measurements simplify the entire process, offering a practical, labour-free way to monitor pasture growth.
Farm without limitations
With Pasture.io, you get data that’s ready whenever you need it—without needing to spend hours walking paddocks or worrying about weather conditions. The technology integrates seamlessly into your farm’s daily operations, freeing up time and reducing guesswork.
It’s time to move beyond guesswork
Guesswork has long been a part of farming, but today, there’s no need because our tools are improving, and the solutions you have to farm smarter are growing! Accurate data makes all the difference. With the Australian Government backing SmartFarm initiatives, agtech tools like Pasture.io are helping farmers meet modern challenges head-on, improve sustainability, and increase profitability.
Pasture.io’s technology allows farmers to take control of their pasture management with comprehensive and current data. When you have reliable insights at your fingertips, anything is possible!
Are you stuck on grass-growing methods 1 - 10? Learn more about innovative tools like Pasture.io’s Pio app and discover how to make pasture management a breeze.
Until we meet again, Happy Measuring!
- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2024-10-29