Using and Managing Records
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      QuickTips - Collecting Pasture Cut Data using the Survey123 App

      A handy guide outlining how to collect, record and calculate pasture biomass data on your property.

      Reminder: To prepare and take into the paddock all equipment you need to complete pasture cuts in the field, see: Equipment Required to do a Pasture Cut

      Use the Survey123 App Survey123_icon_01 or Survey123_icon_02 or Survey123icon-1

       

      1. Start in a representative area of your paddock. (50m away from roads, fence lines, water points & high traffic livestock areas such as feed-out areas).

      In Paddock:

      Step 1: Open the Cibo Labs pasture biomass collector form at the first pasture cut location. Click: 'Collect' to start.

      		 PastureBiomassCollector_Start_ FormOct2021    PastureBiomassCollector_Start_Collect Oct2021

      Step 2: Enter your:

      • Email address
      • Property Name
      • Select: 'Pasture cuts'.

       VA_Screenshot_Email Details_Step1a

      Pasture Cut _Screenshot_Pasturecutselection1b
      Step 3: Take a photo of the direction of the transect.  Transect Photo
      Step 4: Place your quadrat into the pasture at this location. Take a photo looking down on the quadrat. Quadrat _cropped

      Step 5: Cut the pasture to ground level in the quadrat and place it into a bag.

      Input: 

      • Field Estimate Dry Matter (%) on the slider bar.
      • Enter your Field Estimate of TSDM (kg/ha)
      • Dominant Species pasture type.

       Quandrant Original

      TSDM_screenshot

      PastureBiomassCollector_Summary_001-1-1

      Step 6: WALK to the next pasture cut site.

      Press the + button to start this next quadrat cut.

       

      VA_Screenshot_Pasturephoto_Step3-1

      Step 7: Complete steps 4 - 6 for 5 locations along the transect.

      Step 8: After finishing, cut #5. Click the VA_Screenshot_Email Details_Step1_Submit Tick (bottom right) and select "Save to OUTBOX."

      VA_SaveinOutboxScreenshot_b

      At Vehicle:
       Step 9: Use the scales.
      • 'Tare' off an empty bag.
      • Weigh & Input each sample bag's wet weight of pasture into the form.
      • Use the > to move between entries.

      Scales_Tare

      SampleWet Weight_1

      Step 10: Collect a representative sub-sample (50g) from all five samples combined.

      Record on a bag:  the date, form ID#, Property, Weight of subsample (minus bag weight) and paddock name

       

      Subsample
      Step 11: To save your pasture cuts weights, Press the "Submit tick", at the bottom right. Then Select - SAVE to OUTBOX. VA_SaveinOutboxScreenshot_b

      At Home:
      Step 12: Dry the sub-sample for each transect in the oven (80 Degrees for min 12 hours) until all moisture is removed when a stable weight is recorded. Note: Place bags directly into oven with a bowl or cup of water.

      Step 13:

      Calculate DM% = Wet weight of sub-sample / dry weight of sub sample x100.    

      • This figure is your 'Lab Dry Matter (%) for Transect'.
      Step 14: Open the 'Labaratory Results' section. Input the figure into the Lab Dry Matter (%) for the transect box. Lab Transect DM result screenshot_1

      Step 15: Press VA_Screenshot_Email Details_Step1_Submit Tick bottom right of page. Then Select: Save to 'Outbox'

      		 VA_SaveinOutboxScreenshot_b

       

      Caution: Only press send when all your data for each assessment is completed in FULL. Once entries are sent, you can not retrieve it! It empties all the outbox entries together. When you are ready to send and submit completed pasture cut data to Cibolabs, make sure you are connected to a reliable internet connection. 

      Fill in (Optional):

      • Co-dominant & Sub-dominant species
      • Unpalatable Species (%) = is an estimate of the proportion of the total grass mass of non-3p species
      • Unpalatable 3P Species (%) = is an estimate of the unpalatable proportion of the total grass mass of 3p species (3P = Perennial, Palatable, Productive)
      • Av. Dry Matter % for Transect
      • Average Green fraction %.

       

      For more detailed information, refer to the related article:

      Collecting pasture cuts for Dry Weights using the Survey123 app

      Tech Tip:      

      Favorites setting_process

                 

      You can set your Property Name and paddocks as a favorite in the app to save you time retyping for future