Santiago A. Utsumi, PhD
Innovations for Sustainable
Farming & Ranching
Inspired by Nature, Driven by Science

Profitable pasture farming (including pasture dairy robotics!) is heavily reliant on the efficient measurement, allocation, and utilization of grass. Grass monitoring is the task of measuring grass cover across the farm, usually done through weekly pasture walks and by means of different methods. Visual estimation, pasture stick or ruler, and the use of rising plate meters are among most common methods to assess grass cover on farm. Modern laser-based meters are being used increasingly to measure grass heights rapidly and to output grass wedges and geocoded prescription maps. Pasture maps and grass wedges are a great visual aide for dairy farmers to either decide on forage budgets, evaluate past management, or even to define where cows should graze next.

Grass would be the cheapest sustainable feed resource, only if it is grown, utilized and converted efficiently. In order to plan grass-based diets accordingly, consider the following key rules::

• Set goals for stocking rates and feeding system (i.e. systems 1-5)

• Set a suitable average grass cover for your platform

• Set suitable wedge targets for pregrazing and postgrazing cover

• Plan ahead the spring rotation with %s platform for forage and grazing

• Plan ahead actions for the summer slump and heat stress.

• Set a suitable fall cover prior to the first frost

• Integrate feeding systems with environment controls or transient housing systems to give cows better comfort, including roofed ventilated sheds to cool down or for lying down safely, which are much needed to avoid unnecessary poaching and loss of soil structure, damage of soggy fields, reduced intakes, impacted growth rates, muddy feed pads and cow tracks, and impacted animal distress and production during times of unfavorable weather (storms, ice, snow, heat waves, etc.)