HOW WILL MEASURING GRASS MAKE YOU MORE MONEY!
Grass measurement is a proven tool to increase animal intake and production while, at the same time, reducing inputs.
In a dairying context, each additional tonne of dry matter utilised per hectare can increase net profit per hectare by up to €181 per annum. Across a 50ha grazing platform, this improvement figure amounts to €9050.
Why measure grass?
1: Grass measuring will allow all farmers to maximise the amount of fresh forage in their animals’ diet.
2: With production costs rising, structured and efficient grass management can reduce costs.
3: Farmers will know precisely when to reduce or increase meal at different stages throughout the year.
4: Farmers will also know when to remove surplus grass for baled silage.
5: Grass measuring helps farmers achieve target residuals in order to maximise re-growth
6: Daily growth rate information can be used to help plan for the week ahead.
7: Regular grass measuring will help to improve pasture quality, thereby allowing livestock farmers to feed grass in more ways that will deliver improved animal performance.
8: Grass measuring combined with a Spring/Autumn rotation planner will allow you to graze more grass at the shoulders of the year.
9: Grass measuring will allow farmers to match grass covers and stocking densities throughout the grazing season.
The Farm Relief grass measuring package, which gets to the very heart of good grass management and utilisation includes:
1: Providing clients with an up-to-date farm map.
2: Farm Relief grass technicians will carry out up to 30 grass walks per annum.
3: Uploading grass covers – on all software packages.
4: Providing accurate dry matter information.
5: Correcting grass allocations.
6:Determining Spring/Autumn rotation.
7: Compiling feed budgets.
PJ McMonagle milks 120 cows just outside of Raphoe, Co Donegal. He used our grass measurement service last year which resulted in more litres, improved fat and protein and more profit.
PJ said ‘I could have attempted doing these walks myself but I know that because of the workload on the farm, the grass walks would be put on the back burner and the information I would gather would not at all match the information gathered by Farm Relief due to their disciplined approach to the job.’
‘The conversations I’ve had with Christopher about grass covers have been extremely valuable for decision making. Cow dry matter intakes are met and the farm is on target for grass cover per livestock unit. Transition between recently grazed, growing and ready for grazing paddocks is very clear. Cows were out early and surplus grass removed for quality baled silage.’
Grasshopper –
Grass Measuring & Management System
Grasshopper is the most accurate grass cover measurement system available on the market today. The Grasshopper algorithm was developed and validated over a three year period by True North Technologies and at the Moorepark Grassland Research Station in Ireland.
Grasshopper is very easy to use. Grasshopper works on the principle of measuring the compressed sward height with millimeter accuracy. As you measure, you have full control over the moment the measure is taken – eliminating angular drop problems experienced with other methods.
Once your grass walk is complete, Grasshopper uploads all your data automatically to GrasslandTools and from there to third-party databases such as PastureBase Ireland, AgriNet and others.
