<i>GrassQ - A holistic precision grass measurement and analysis system to optimize pasture based livestock production</i>

Abstract

GrassQ is a holistic grassland decision support system (DSS) that encapsulates a range of measurement technologies to provide yield and quality data to a cloud based platform, which can provide users with real time management information in the field. GrassQ aims to promote precision agricultural concepts within the pasture based livestock industry. Accurate measurement and allocation of fresh pasture to grazing herds on a daily basis is essential in increasing efficiency. Novel systems of measuring grass yield and quality were developed at the Moorepark Animal and Grassland Research Centre in Cork, Ireland, over the grass growing seasons of 2017 and 2018. Measurement systems included ground based and remote sensing techniques. The prototype GrassQ DSS was designed to process datasets uploaded from all proposed measurement systems. Measurement parameters were compressed sward height (CSH) (mm), herbage mass (HM) (kgDM/ha), dry matter (DM) (g/kg) and crude protein (CP) (g/kg). Ground based measurements were recorded using a smart rising plate meter (RPM) and lab based near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Multispectral remote sensing was carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and data from the European Union’s Sentinel-2 satellite (S2). Reference analyses for all prediction models were carried out at Moorpark’s Grassland Laboratory and all sample locations were geotagged to enable spatial mapping of all parameters. The GrassQ prototype DSS is currently operational, including a number of preliminary grass quantity and quality prediction models. The complete Grass DSS will be is launched upon final validation.