Development of a Robust Sensor Calibration for a Commercially Available Rising Platemeter to Estimate Herbage Mass on Temperate Seminatural Pastures.

Rising platemeters are commonly used in Ireland and New Zealand for managing intensive pastures. To assess the applicability of a commercial rising platemeter operating with a microsonic sensor to estimate herbage mass with its own equation, the objectives were (i) to validate the original equation; (ii) to identify possible factors hampering its accuracy and precision; and (iii) to develop a new equation for heterogeneous swards. A comprehensive dataset ( = 1511) was compiled on the pastures of dairy farms.

Evaluation of a Binary Classification Approach to Detect Herbage Scarcity Based on Behavioral Responses of Grazing Dairy Cows.

In precision grazing, pasture allocation decisions are made continuously to ensure demand-based feed allowance and efficient grassland utilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate existing prediction models that determine feed scarcity based on changes in dairy cow behavior. During a practice-oriented experiment, two groups of 10 cows each grazed separate paddocks in half-days in six six-day grazing cycles.