The disc pasture meter: Possible applications in grazing management.

Abstract

The disc meter is a simple inexpensive instrument which may be used to make rapid yield estimates of standing forage. Linear regression relationships between meter reading and pasture dry matter yield are usually fairly good, but these may be affected by a number of different factors. The meter should therefore be calibrated for each specific set of conditions in which it is to be used. Estimation of pasture yield with this instrument provides an objective basis on which to adjust animal numbers in grazing trials and enables pasture intake by grazing animals to be estimated in rotational grazing systems. It may also be useful for quantitatively describing pasture-animal relationships and for construction pasture growth curves.

Keywords: botany; disc meter; dry matter yield; equipment; forage; grazing; grazing management; grazing systems; growth curves; intake; pasture; rotational grazing; sampling; yield