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Comparison between a laser sensor and mechanical tools to estimate pasture mass in strata of kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) pastures

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Benvenutti, M. A., Barber, D. G., Mayer, D. G., Ison, K. A.D., Colman, M. V. and Findsen, C. (2019) Comparison between a laser sensor and mechanical tools to estimate pasture mass in strata of kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) pastures. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 249 . pp. 31-36. ISSN 0377-8401

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Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2019.01.013

Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037784011831335X

Abstract

Pasture meters are typically calibrated to estimate total pasture mass (TPM). Recent studies have shown that animal productivity was driven by the level of utilisation of the top leafy stratum (TLS) rather than the TPM. A study of kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) pasture conducted on two farms located in southeast Queensland, Australia assessed whether pasture mass of the TLS, bottom stemmy stratum (BSS) and TPM can be more accurately estimated by using not only pasture surface height but also pasture density derived from height data captured by a laser sensor. The results indicated that there was a notable improvement of the pasture mass estimates when density was included in the calibration equations. The study also compared the accuracy of the pasture mass estimates between the laser sensor and mechanical pasture meters (rising plate meter and ruler). The results indicated that all devices provided reasonable estimates of pasture mass for TLS, BSS and total (R2 ≥ 0.75). However, pasture mass was estimated with a slightly higher level of accuracy when using the laser sensor in comparison with the other pasture meters, particularly for the top leafy stratum (R2 = 0.81 vs R2 ≤ 0.77).

Item Type:Article
Business groups:Animal Science
Keywords:Pasture meters Kikuyu Laser sensor Pasture mass AgTech
Subjects:Science > Science (General)
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Methods and systems of culture. Cropping systems
Animal culture > Rangelands. Range management. Grazing
Live Archive:08 Mar 2019 04:35
Last Modified:10 Jul 2023 01:49

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