% Broadleaf Cover, % Grasses Cover, % Undesirables Cover
Soil health indicator: learn about how your sward diversity is evolving by monitoring % cover of different plant species
What is the composition of your pasture? Is it just grass? Or a diverse array of broadleaves (legumes etc)? What percentage of the plot is occupied by weeds (undesirables)?
Track the establishment of ley sowings, eg herbal leys. Are you getting any of those expensive small seeds showing in the sward?
Equipment:
- Quadrat
Doing test:
- Decide whether you want to test the field more generally (under the W walk category), or repeatedly test a specific sample site over time (using the GPS feature to find the same sample location).
- Within the quadrat estimate the % cover of broadleaves, grasses and undesirables, each to the nearest 10%
- Record the three percentages separately in the app.
- Take a photo from above with the whole quadrat visible.
What to record in the Soilmentor app:
- % cover to the nearest 10% for each plant type: broadleaf, grasses and undesirables (this is an estimate, so don’t worry about exact numbers).
- Don’t forget to take a photo of anything interesting you find which you might want to ID later on!
Resources:
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/bot440/wilsomar/Content/HTM-perarea.htm
Examining plat cover with Bridget Bidell and Will Godwin at Hampton Estate:
