Calibration for Pasture Cover and Growth Rates

What is calibration?

Calibration is a one-off adjustment that can be applied when Pio’s pasture cover readings are consistently higher or lower than your trusted on-farm pasture cover assessments.

It is designed to help Pio’s readings better reflect your farm where there is a clear and consistent difference.

Calibration is most useful when the overall pattern of Pio’s readings makes sense, but the pasture cover values are regularly sitting above or below your own assessments.

When is calibration useful?

Calibration may be useful if:

• Pio’s pasture covers are consistently higher or lower than your on-farm assessments
• the difference is reasonably consistent across pre-grazing and post-grazing covers
• your farm has pasture types or crops that behave differently, such as tropical pastures or lucerne
• you have reliable on-farm pasture cover assessments to compare against Pio

Calibration is not designed to fix one unusual reading, seasonal variation, poor image quality, missing grazing records, or incorrect paddock setup.

Before requesting calibration, it is worth checking that:

• paddock boundaries are correct
• grazing records are up to date
• the paddock is actively in pasture
• the reading is not affected by cloud, haze, shadow, or image quality
• the difference between Pio and your own assessment is consistent over time

How does calibration work?

If calibration is suitable, our team uses your observed pasture cover values and Pio’s pasture cover values to calculate an adjustment.

The process usually involves:

1. Check the pattern
   Confirm that Pio is generally tracking the farm, but there is a consistent difference between Pio’s readings and your on-farm assessments.
2. Request calibration
   Contact the Pasture.io support team and ask about pasture cover calibration.
3. Provide comparison data
   Share your observed pre-grazing and post-grazing covers, along with the Pio readings for the same paddocks and dates.
4. Review and apply
   Our team reviews the information and, where appropriate, applies a calibration adjustment.
5. Readings update
   Once applied, Pio’s pasture cover readings are adjusted, and growth rates will follow from the adjusted pasture cover values.

Example

For example, Pio may show:

• Pre-grazing cover: 3300 kgDM/ha
• Post-grazing cover: 1600 kgDM/ha

Your on-farm assessments may show:

• Pre-grazing cover: 3000 kgDM/ha
• Post-grazing cover: 1700 kgDM/ha

In this example, our team can use these values to understand the difference between Pio’s readings and your on-farm assessments, then calculate whether a calibration adjustment is suitable.

A helpful way to think about calibration

Calibration is similar to adjusting the formula used with a rising plate meter.

A rising plate meter formula may not perfectly suit every pasture type, season, or growth stage. In the same way, some farms may have pasture types or conditions where a consistent adjustment helps Pio’s readings better reflect what is happening on farm.

Calibration should not be changed regularly. It is intended for consistent differences, not normal day-to-day variation.

How to request calibration

To request calibration:

1. Contact us through the in-app chat bubble or email support@pasture.io.
2. Ask for pasture cover calibration.
3. Include your observed pre-grazing and post-grazing covers.
4. Include the matching Pio readings for the same paddocks and dates.

Because calibration is a one-off adjustment, it is important that the pasture cover assessments you provide are reliable and representative.

Once we receive your request, our team will review the information and let you know whether calibration is suitable for your farm.

Take-home message

Calibration can be useful when there is a consistent difference between Pio’s readings and your trusted on-farm pasture cover assessments.

It is not needed for every farm, and it is not designed to fix one-off unusual readings.

The best first step is to check your paddock setup, grazing records, and recent reading conditions. If the difference is consistent over time, contact our team and we can review whether calibration is appropriate.