PastureBase Ireland - a National Grassland database for Ireland

摘要

PastureBase Ireland (PBI) is a web-based grassland management tool incorporating a dual function of grassland decision support and a central database to collate grassland data. This database facilitates the collection and storage of a vast quantity of grassland data from grassland farmers in Ireland, providing infinite opportunities to increase the understanding around all aspects of grassland production and ultimately utilisation. The database spans across enterprises (dairy, beef and sheep), with grassland data recorded by all enterprise groups. Key questions that PBI can address include the quantification of seasonal and annual grass dry matter (DM) production, establishing the factors that affect production across different enterprises, including for example grassland management, region, and soil type. This database is designed to be functional at the paddock level. PBI has the potential to refocus grassland research in Ireland, while contributing to significant increases in productivity and profitability on grass-based farms. The objective of this paper is to briefly describe PBI and to demonstrate some of the outputs of the model.