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Dry matter production

72 kg DM/ha/day peak

The daily growth rate of your pastures — kilograms of water-free plant material grown per hectare per day — plotted against the herd’s feed demand. In southern Australia growth peaks in spring and dips below demand through winter and late summer: those crossings are your feed gaps.

Worked example · kg DM/ha/day · growth vs demand
72 winter gap Growth Consumption Jan Apr Jul Oct Dec
kg DM/ha/day · growth vs demand
The benchmark

Temperate Victorian pastures peak near 100 kg DM/ha/day in spring and fall close to zero through winter and late summer.

MLA MBFP (PROGRAZE) ↗
What it signals

Knowing pasture growth lets you match natural feed supply to herd demand, plan grazing rotations, and prepare for seasonal feed gaps before they hit animal performance.

Data required to calculate
Effective grazing areahaStanding biomass, startkgStanding biomass, endkgDays in growth perioddays

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Rotationally graze and remove stock when pastures reach minimum heights.

02

Correct structural soil deficiencies with fertilisers such as nitrogen or lime.

03

Incorporate persistent perennial species to optimise seasonal growth.

Questions & answers

What is dry matter production?

The daily growth rate of your pastures — kilograms of water-free plant material grown per hectare per day — plotted against the herd’s feed demand. In southern Australia growth peaks in spring and dips below demand through winter and late summer: those crossings are your feed gaps.

What data do you need to calculate dry matter production?

You need: Effective grazing area (ha), Standing biomass, start (kg), Standing biomass, end (kg), Days in growth period (days). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good dry matter production benchmark?

Temperate Victorian pastures peak near 100 kg DM/ha/day in spring and fall close to zero through winter and late summer.

How do you improve dry matter production?

Rotationally graze and remove stock when pastures reach minimum heights. Correct structural soil deficiencies with fertilisers such as nitrogen or lime. Incorporate persistent perennial species to optimise seasonal growth.

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