Ground Cover

Ground Cover allows you to accurately assess the ground cover of your paddock.

Ground Cover is a Free App which allows you to accurately assess the ground cover of your paddock and even send that information by email to a database.

Ground cover is the percentage of the soil surface when looking down on it which is covered by pasture, grass and other material. Pastures are made up of grass, twigs, herbs, forbs, weeds, manure, rock and bare soil. Ground Cover can assess percentage pasture verse bare soil.

Ground Cover uses geo-location technology along with a standard Step Point monitoring process and is supported with photographic benchmark capability.

Ground Cover takes the user through the step point method in a straight forward way to get you started.

Good ground cover is essential to productive and healthy grazing properties.

Monitoring pastures using an objective tool such as groundcover provides a good benchmark for managing grasslands and pastures.

Designed as a tool for grazing property management in North West or Hunter Region in NSW, Ground Cover is a valuable tool in farm management anywhere in the world. Ground Cover is applicable to pasture management regardless of the type of livestock used.

Two tools are available:

The Standard Assessment is specifically designed for people in North West New South wales or the Hunter Region who have agreed to monitor ground cover projects for their CMA or Local Land Service. Contact your North West or Hunter LLS Project Manager for full start-up details.

The Basic Assessment is a tool designed for anyone who would like to improve their grazing management by improving their Ground Cover.

Improving Ground Cover gives you:

*More effective rainfall

*Improved infiltration

*Reduced erosion

*Improved soil biology and nutrient cycling

*Improved soil structure and carbon content

*reduced recovery periods between grazing

*Improved pasture production

*Knowledge to match stocking rate to pasture growth and timing of stock movements

*Information to provide sufficient recovery for your paddocks between grazing

If you would like to know what your ground cover is go to the Basic Assessment.

If you are monitoring ground cover for North West or Hunter Local Land Service go to Standard Assessment

In North West New South Wales or Hunter region, monitoring pastures using an objective tool such as Groundcover provides a good benchmark for managing grasslands and pastures.

Ground Cover was developed by Namoi Catchment Management Authority with funding from Caring for our Country. Updated by North West and Hunter Local Land Services with funding from the National Landcare Programme.