Calibration and evaluation of the Crop Circle multi-spectral sensor for pasture biomass rapid assessment to support grazing management decision making

Summary

The project objectives were to calibrate and evaluate the Holland Scientific Crop Circle active optical sensor (AOS) technology for the assessment of pasture biomass, and its potential adoption by producers. This was assessed on both mixed ryegrass and white clover swards on pastoral based enterprises located in the Northern Midlands, Tasmania. The project included comparisons to another AOS and traditional biomass assessment tools including, rising plate meter and visual assessments.
The project demonstrated that the AOS technology can accurately predict pasture biomass within the region, and greater accuracy over traditional pasture monitoring tools in both sward types. Two leading local producers adopted the technology for use on farms, which provided valuable feedback to researchers for its practical use on-farm. This included the consistency in biomass predictions between users.
When surveyed, the benefit of AOS technology to producers in making business decisions was clearly understood by producers (>75%). However, further work is needed to identify some perceived impediments to adoption from the broader industry. In summary, there is a need for additional research to improve the accuracy and application of the technology to other regions as well as understanding the social barriers of use.