Understanding scoring methods for pastures
One of the first steps to getting the most out of pastureland is assessing its composition and condition. Thorough evaluation of pastures will give producers the information they need to make adjustments and improvements to maximize future forage production. There are several different Pasture Condition Scoring (PCS) methods producers can utilize depending on their time, needs and goals.
Pasture Condition Scoring: For producers looking to undertake an in-depth assessment of their pasture and forage conditions, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers a Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring (PCS) accompanied with a Pasture Condition Score Sheet (PCSS).
Producers can find these resources online at the NRCS website and download the guides or pick up guides at their local NRCS office. “The Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring walks producers through how to fill out the Pasture Condition Score Sheet. This is a thorough assessment. It is a good tool to use,” Gene Schmitz, field specialist in livestock with the University of Missouri Extension, said.
Assessment Utilizing Tape: There are additional pasture assessment strategies for producers seeking other options. “Something I have done a lot in the past and continue to do is to string out a 100 foot of tape and then every foot you assess what is touching the 1-foot mark, the 2-foot mark, the 3-foot mark and so on,” Schmitz explained.
In this assessment method, producers should record whether what is touching the tape at the designated spots is grass, legume, weed, or bare ground. Producers can get as detailed as they want in the information they record. For example, they may choose to specify the type of weed or categorize weeds into grassy or broadleaf groups.
The data collected from this type of assessment could also be utilized to fill out the NRCS Pasture Condition Score Sheet. This method should be conducted in a few different sections of the pasture to get a clearer overall picture of the pasture composition and condition.
Assessment Utilizing Hoops: Another option involves utilizing a hula hoop, large machinery belt or something similar. In this method producers place the hoop in random locations throughout the pasture. Producers then visually assess what is inside the ring and document findings. Though this method will give producers an idea of what is going on with their pastures, in many cases it does not provide quite as accurate of an assessment as the tape method. A soil test will also help producers determine the health of their pastures.
Assessment Timing: Regardless of the method producers decide to utilize, the best way to determine the overall condition of the pasture is to conduct assessments multiple times throughout the year. Recommended times to assess pasture include spring, summer and fall due to the changes in the plant population throughout the year.
Extension specialists encourage producers to record what they see during the pasture condition scoring and determine how it changes over time. “Keep track of that information from year to year. And that can help you identify questions such as, ‘What direction are my pastures going? Are they improving or are they declining and if so, why?’” Schmitz said.
Once producers have the information collected, analyzed and tracked over time then they can use it to make important management decisions. The information can help producers determine if their desirable forages are improving or declining, or if there are more weeds and bare ground. All this information is important to finding the right steps to improving the health and condition of pastureland.
