Some helpful articles and information to assist with building confidence in making visual estimations of Pasture Biomass.
The Survey123 App has been developed specifically for estimation of pasture biomass based on visual quadrat estimates along a transect with known GPS coordinates. We must assume that users have undertaken practice in pasture biomass estimation, however, some tips are included here.
There are numerous resources available to assist with making visual estimates of pasture biomass, these include:
- https://www.feedonofferlibrary.com/
- https://futurebeef.com.au/knowledge-centre/pasture-photo-standards/
However, we highly recommend that in order to get “your eye in”, you undertake your own pasture cuts to get an estimate of pasture dry matter (DM), and take some photos to create your own reference library over time.
Please see our QuickTips - Collecting Pasture Cut Data using the Survey123 App article as a useful guide on how to undertake Pasture Cutting.
The below diagram also illustrates the components of Total Standing Dry Matter (TSDM) for reference when you consider making visual estimates of pasture biomass.
Total Standing Dry Matter (TSDM) - Definition Diagram
See below useful related article:
Quick Tips - Paddock Visual Estimates of Biomass using the Survey123 App