Grasshopper Grass Measuring System

The Grass Management Bundle comprises the Plate Meter, Grasshopper Sensor unit, and the Grass Map & Measure App running on either Android or iOS phones and tablets. Grasshopper will support multiple users. Warranty is two years.

The grass wedge has become the standard way to analyse the data produced on a weekly farm walk where paddocks are measured for available or total grass cover. Grass-hopper produces paddock covers and a grass wedge at the end of the weekly walk and also exports the collected paddock information to any external grass-management package. External management programmes such as PastureBase Ireland, Agrinet, Kingswood & FarmFlo have tool sets to help you to:
Target paddocks at the desired pre-grazing yield.

• Use Spring and Autumn rotation planners.
• Select paddocks to remove as surplus silage.
• Identify poorly performing paddocks and take corrective action.

Good management leads to improved grass utilisation and the option to carry more stock on the same grazing platform. Grasshopper can help get you there.

Accurate Grass Covers

Grasshopper is the most accurate grass-cover measurement system available on the market in Ireland today.

Grasshopper was developed and validated over a three-year period by True North Technologies of Shannon and Teagasc at the Moorepark Grassland Research Station in Fermoy, Co. Cork. The Grasshopper algorithm used to calculate grass covers has been adjusted over three growing seasons during which more than 4000 cuts were taken, weighed and processed at the Moorepark laboratories.

Easy to Use

Grasshopper is very easy to use. Grasshopper works on the principle of measuring the compressed sward height with millimeter accuracy. Using a plate of given dimension and weight, this method takes into account the grass density as well as height. As you measure, you have full control over the moment the measure is taken – eliminating angular drop problems experienced with other methods.

A number of drops are made while walking across the paddock - the number is dependent on the time of year, variation within the paddock and, to an extent, the paddock area.

Over time enough data will be collected to assess the performance of different areas within a paddock and across the grazing platform - giving you accurately compiled data to help you make and implement informed management decisions.

Map-My-Farm

Grasshopper includes the very useful Map-My-Farm function. This enables you to accurately map all paddocks on the farm or grazing platform and has the capacity to map up to three separate blocks or farms. Paddocks within a block or farm can be easily renamed and managed using this function by you the farmer.

The farm map offers utility and decision support and is also a necessary element in calculating grass-cover and good grassland management. Mapping the exact usable area in each paddock is key to knowing the available cover and thus making the correct allocation.

Your grazing platform can be edited, paddocks renamed, areas changed, new paddocks added or old ones removed by yourself - no third-party
support is required.

With the integrated paddock mapping function in Grasshopper, no knowledge of the paddock
naming system is required by the operator. Grasshopper will detect which paddock you are in and automatically record the position and value of every drop made. This allows an operator who is not familiar with the farm to conduct a grass walk accurately – freeing up your time.

Your farm map can be exported for laminated printing and display in the parlour as a rotation planner.
The map can also be transferred to other phones - allowing any number of operators to do the grass walk for you.

Grasshopper Features