Start Date
1-18-2019 2:30 PM
Description
It is often helpful to have a reliable estimate of forage on offer to grazing livestock. Research has shown that there is a high correlation between forage height and dry matter yield. This correlation is improved when bulk height is determined by depressing the forage with a weighted plate. This weight plate technique referred to as a weighted disk meter, appears to improve the estimate of pasture yield. Different designs of weighted disk meters are called rising plate meters and falling plate meters depending on how measurements are taken. The weighted disk meter described here is a falling plate meter.
Weighted disk meters are generally made of sheet metal using an etched metal measuring rod. Researchers have used modifications of this design to establish the effect of size and area weight on the performance of these meters. Based on this research, an inexpensive weighted disk meter was made from acrylic plastic for use in conducting on-farm research and demonstration programs.
Included in
A Falling Plate Meter for Estimating Pasture Forage Mass
It is often helpful to have a reliable estimate of forage on offer to grazing livestock. Research has shown that there is a high correlation between forage height and dry matter yield. This correlation is improved when bulk height is determined by depressing the forage with a weighted plate. This weight plate technique referred to as a weighted disk meter, appears to improve the estimate of pasture yield. Different designs of weighted disk meters are called rising plate meters and falling plate meters depending on how measurements are taken. The weighted disk meter described here is a falling plate meter.
Weighted disk meters are generally made of sheet metal using an etched metal measuring rod. Researchers have used modifications of this design to establish the effect of size and area weight on the performance of these meters. Based on this research, an inexpensive weighted disk meter was made from acrylic plastic for use in conducting on-farm research and demonstration programs.