Thinking of signing up to Agrinet, who on here uses it? Is it worth the money or just a simple excel document ok?
Plate meter grass measuring
- Thread starter farmer notsurewhattodo
- Start date
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
I'm not an expert but I use it and wouldn't want to be without it.
Tirglas
Member
- Location
- West wales
Good thing!!
Will Blackburn
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
It hasn’t let us down when making the call on taking area out of the platform, wouldn’t be without it.
- Location
- Buxton Derbyshire
Very useful. If you really get into it you can use it for budgeting spring and autumn grazing accurately when demand is higher than growth.
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
Fantastic tool. I just need to finish learning how to utilise it fully - will be having training day with Noel Gowan from Grasstec.
However, having had to view it and help make decisions remotely for a while, the drawback that has come to light is that it is only as good as the information you put in. If residuals havent been hit correctly or premowing not done when it was needed then grass measurements are skewed by the stemmy material at the bottom of the sward and your grass wedge and forecasting become unreliable. There is still no substitute for walking the paddocks yourself.
However, having had to view it and help make decisions remotely for a while, the drawback that has come to light is that it is only as good as the information you put in. If residuals havent been hit correctly or premowing not done when it was needed then grass measurements are skewed by the stemmy material at the bottom of the sward and your grass wedge and forecasting become unreliable. There is still no substitute for walking the paddocks yourself.
Mr always wrong
Member
- Location
- cumbria
Could someone please recommend a plate meter. There is a big price range from about £450 to well over £1000.
Thanks
Thanks
- Location
- Buxton Derbyshire
I think a lot of them are the same internals just with a different coloured case. I got my last one from https://www.hanpro.co.uk/product-category/plate-meters/
I have the EC 09. Carry a notebook with me and jot down the reading for each paddock then enter it on the desktop when I get back to the office. Some of the fancier versions will download via phone apps I think but I prefer to write it down in my note book . I can immediately compare to the previous weeks reading I wrote down in the previous column. It's a good safety check in case the reading is a long why out on what you would have expected when compared with the previous weeks reading.
I have the EC 09. Carry a notebook with me and jot down the reading for each paddock then enter it on the desktop when I get back to the office. Some of the fancier versions will download via phone apps I think but I prefer to write it down in my note book . I can immediately compare to the previous weeks reading I wrote down in the previous column. It's a good safety check in case the reading is a long why out on what you would have expected when compared with the previous weeks reading.
Mr always wrong
Member
- Location
- cumbria
Thanks for that
I would say something like the EC09 from jenquip (but also look very similar to others). Adds up all your "plonks" to give an average for the paddock, then you either write that down or punch it straight into agrinet on the phone as you go. Reset for next paddock and go again.
I would agree with both of these comments, keep it simple and use your eyes as well as the stick. The more fancy you go the more to go wrong.
I don't realy see how you can use a plate meter properly without decent software to complete the charts etc, it is so useful and relatively cheap. My only groan with Agrinet is that in the winter if grass is disappearing without being grazed it cant get its head around that, designed for 12 months of growth apparently! I suppose I could adjust the formula, but ive never been keen on doing that as I have seen others get in a mess doing that.
Agrinet also not great for beef and sheep apparently.
Homesy
Member
- Location
- North West Devon
how much does agrinet or similar cost per year ?
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
About £85?
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
The helpline is very very good and they talk you through things like that
This is what I've done but given it's a regular event, i thought there would be a specific option. Or perhaps there's little point in comparing old lay with the new one so might as well have a new paddock card for it?
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
Give the help line a call, they will have answered the same question before - they could do with a ‘frequent question’ page
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire