Overview
GrassCheckGB is a collaboration between the UK Agri-Tech Centre, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Rothamsted Research, the three GB meat levy bodies, and industry sponsors, working alongside a network of 50 beef, sheep and dairy farms spread across Great Britain.
Farmers across the GrassCheckGB monitoring network measure their grazing platform on a weekly basis throughout the grazing season.
Every fortnight each farm submits grass samples for analysis. This is done on a rotating basis with half the farms submitting samples one week and the other half submitting on the following week.
Each farm is equipped with an automatic weather station which records temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and soil moisture.
Throughout the growing season, this data provides a valuable source of weekly local & regional grass growth updates with focussed management tips produced for the farming community.
The data from the project has been used in the development of predictive models which, using grass growth and weather forecast data, will provide 7 and 14 day estimates of grass growth. Whilst these are still being developed, better forecasting of growth rates will support continued improvements in grassland planning and management.
New for 2022
GrassCheckGB has been running since 2019. Now in its fourth year, additional elements have been added to the project:
Study a: Evaluating the impact of different rotational grazing management strategies on animal performance and grass utilisation.
Study b: Examining blanketed and targeted fertiliser regimes in rotational grazing systems
Study c: Assessing the value of clover on commercial farms
More details on each of these studies will be provided later in the year.
Why is the project important?
Grassland is a hugely important part of British agriculture, with ruminant livestock and green pastures being a quintessential part of our countryside, as well as providing a nutritious source of food. Grasslands and grazing lands account for over 70 per cent of the UK’s farmed area, and with an ever-growing population, ensuring these areas are used efficiently to produce nutritious and sustainable food is vital.
The potential for high levels of grass production and utilisation gives British agriculture a key competitive advantage against many other livestock production regions across the globe. However, there is significant scope to improve grassland productivity in the UK from the current estimated production levels of 7.5t DM/ha/yr and 4.7t DM/ha/yr on dairy and beef farms, respectively.
Improving grassland management efficiency is a key driver of profitability on beef, sheep and dairy farms across the UK, with each additional 1 tonne DM utilised per hectare worth £334 and £204 per annum to dairy and beef farms, respectively.
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