It’s important we know how much grass we have in a paddock or on the farm. Only then can we guarantee cows get fed enough.

We measure grass in kilograms of dry matter per hectare ( kgdm/ha ). This is the weight of the grass after all moisture has been dried out of it.

There are various ways to measure this but here we’re talking about using a pasture meter or riding plate meter.

They work by measuring the compressed height of pasture. The plate stays on top of the grass and the shaft goes through the pasture to the ground.

The monitor uses a formula to calculate kgdm/ha based on where the plate sits ( height wise ) compared to the ground.

You should walk the same course around the farm every time. Some people mark posts to identify the course. Walk across the whole paddock.

Avoid wet areas, gateways and uneven surfaces. These areas tend to give you a false reading.

Also avoid clumps. Again it will give a false reading as the cows won’t eat the clumps.

When you put the plate down make sure you put it down square to the paddock.

Don’t roll it like this or you will get a false reading.

Take at least 50 readings ( the more the better ).

When you finish you need to clean and dry the shaft. Otherwise it forms a layer of muck on it and eventually it interferes with reading.