ALUT

WORKING ON GRASS

ADVISORY SERVICES

Working on Grass provides an advisory and consultation service on topics related to veld and grazing management. This service is led by Frits van Oudtshoorn and additionally includes the services of various specialists in South Africa. Frits van Oudtshoorn is a well-known veld ecologist and is the author of the books “Guide to grasses of southern Africa” and “Veld management – principles and practices”.

Advisory Services

The following types of services are included:

Veld condition and grazing capacity assessments
Veld condition improvement and restoration recommendations
Control of problem plants
Grazing management infrastructure planning
Grass species composition surveys
Grass biomass evaluations
Ecological management plans for game ranches
Planted pasture recommendations
Vegetation community/unit surveys and mapping
Veld management plans (full document)
Veld management related presentations during farmer’s days
Veld management training

Identification of common grasses (checklists) on a property
Veld condition and grazing capacity long-term monitoring
Prescribed burning need evaluations
Vegetation and ecological impact assessments (for EIA’s)
Agricultural potential assessments (for re-zoning and EIA’s)
Alien invasive vegetation assessments
Erosion control/rehab recommendations (e.g. for gullies)
Habitat assessments for rare game species
Mine rehabilitation recommendations
Rehabilitated mining sites monitoring
Veld condition assessments for pre-purchase properties
Wildfire impact (on grazing) assessments
Elephant impact assessments

Gallery

Products:

About the Disc Pasture Meter
The disc pasture meter (or DPM) is an aluminium instrument used to determine grass biomass per hectare (kg dry grass/ha) in veld. It is an easy alternative to cutting, drying, and weighing grass samples for measuring biomass. The grass biomass data is then typically used for the following.

• Determining the grazing capacity on a property or a single camp/paddock
• To make decisions regarding prescribe burning

How does it work?
The DPM consists of a disc attached to a tube which slides over a rod fitted with measurements in centimetre (see illustration). The disc and tube unit are dropped onto the grass sward with the rod placed vertically to the ground. The height (in centimetres) at which the disc settles is then recorded where the rod meets with the upper fringe of the tube. At least fifty such recordings are made at one sample site after which the average (in cm) is calculated. Recordings are usually done on a straight transect at one-step or one-meter intervals.

How is biomass determined?
Grass biomass, or standing crop, in kilogram dry grass per hectare (kg/ha), is then calculated by using an equation. Various equations are developed by pasture scientists through calibrating the DPM for certain grassland and savanna regions. These equations are supplied with the instrument or can be downloaded from our resources page.

Contact us for more info or quotations.

DISC PASTURE METER

R4,200.00

SEED

Working on Grass is a registered seed agent for Barenbrug SA. We offer a full range of seed including summer grass and legume pastures (annual and perennial), winter grass and legume pastures (annual and perennial), pasture and rehabilitation mixtures, cover crops and turf grasses for various climatic conditions and uses.

Feel free to Contact us for more info or quotations.

Our range include, among others, the following:

Grasses

Perennial summer grass pastures – Smuts finger grass, Eragrostis, Rhodes grass, Blue buffalo grass, White buffalo grass, Small buffalo grass, Brachiaria’s (including hybrids), Wool grass and Perennial signal grass.
Annual summer grass pastures – Teff, Fodder sorghums, Babala, and Japanese millet.
Annual winter grass pastures – Annual rye grass, Forage oats, Forage rye, Forage barley, Triticale
Perennial winter grass pastures – Perennial rye, Tall fescues, Cocksfoot, Phalaris (perennial canary grass)

Legumes

Perennial summer legumes – Poor man’s lucerne and Desmodiums, Stylo
Annual summer legumes – Dolichos beans, Cow peas, Sunnhemp, Red hemp, Burgundy bean
Annual winter legumes – Annual clovers, Annual medicago’s, Serradella, Lupins, Vetch, Fodder peas
Perennial winter legumes – Lucerne (all dormancy’s), Perennial clovers (white, red, strawberry), Birdsfoot trefoil