Factors influencing the accuracy of herbage mass determinations with a capacitance meter

Abstract Pasture herbage mass was determined before and after grazing of grass-clover and lucerne pastures with a capacitance meter using the ‘paddock mean method’. This proved to be an accurate and efficient technique for estimating herbage mass for both types of pasture either before or after grazing. Capacitance meter reading was most significantly correlated with the fresh weight of pasture (r>0.900) and least with dead pasture (r>0.140). The proportion of dead herbage and DM % of pasture were significantly correlated (r=0.811), and both affected the regression of meter reading on herbage mass, making selection of sites at the ‘paddock mean’ critical as the variability of these components in pasture increased. The accuracy of herbage mass estimation can be improved by making a visual assessment of the mean dead matter content and selecting cutting sites at the mean meter reading which also correspond to mean dead matter content.