Guide to Pasture

Condition Scoring

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Natural

Resources

Conservation

Service

Grazing

Lands

Technology

Institute
Percent desirable plants

This indicator determines if the pasture has the kind of

plants that the livestock on it will graze readily. A

desirable species is readily consumed, persistent, and

provides high tonnage and quality

for a significant part of the

growing season. Undesirable

species, such as woody invaders,

noxious weeds, and toxic plants,

are those that typically are not

eaten (rejected) by most

livestock or cause undesirable

side effects when eaten, and that

crowd out more desirable

A well-managed pasture is one whose productivity

(plant and animal) is optimized while it does no

harm to soil, water, and air quality. Pasture condition scoring is a systematic way to check how

well a pasture is managed. If the pasture is located on the proper site and well managed, it will

have a good to excellent overall pasture condition

score. By rating key indicators and causative

factors common to all pastures, pasture condition

can be evaluated and the primary reasons for a

low condition score identified. Conditions that

typically express themselves as pasture resource

concerns are poor plant growth, weedy species

invasion, poor animal performance, visible soil

loss, increased runoff, and impaired water quality.

Pasture condition scoring, to be most useful, should

occur several times a year during key critical management periods throughout the grazing season.

Scoring should be performed:

• At the start before placing livestock on pasture

• At peak forage supply periods

• At low forage supply periods

• As plant stress appears

• Near the end to help decide when to remove

livestock

In addition, pastures used for year-round grazing

benefit from pasture condition scoring:

• Going into the winter season

• Late in winter

• During thaws or wet periods

Pasture condition scoring can be useful in deciding

when to move livestock or planning other management

actions. It sorts out which improvements are most

likely to improve pasture condition or livestock performance.

Pasture condition scoring involves the visual evaluation of 10 indicators, listed and described below, which

rate pasture condition. In the Pasture Condition Score

Sheet, each indicator or factor has five conditions

described for it, ranging from very poor to excellent.

This objectively ranks the extent of any problem(s)

and helps sort out the likely cause(s). Evaluate each

indicator separately. They may be combined into an

overall score for the pasture unit or left as an individual score and compared with the other nine indicators. Indicators receiving the lowest scores can be

targeted for corrective action as warranted. The plant

vigor indicator is broken down further into six possible

causes that affect plant vigor. As one or more erosion

indicators may exist on a site, they are split into four

types: sheet and rill, gully, streambank or shoreline,

and wind.

species. A few forages for a time are undesirables

during a specific growth stage when they produce

toxins. Intermediate species are those which, while

eaten, provide low tonnage or lose

quality fast, and often have a shortlived grazing use period. Some

examples are dandelions, wild

plantains, and annual grasses, such

as crabgrass. Estimate visually the

proportion of desirable species

present in the entire sward by

weight, and score accordingly.

Indicator Descriptions

Introduction

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
Plant cover

The percentage of the soil surface covered by plants

is important for pasture production and soil and

water protection. A dense stand (high stem count)

ensures, when properly grazed, high animal intake

and high sunlight interception for best forage growth.

Bare, open spots allow for weed encroachment,

increased water runoff during intense rains, and soil

erosion. Visually estimate the total cover of all desirable and intermediate species. Assign a value based on

either green leaf canopy or live vegetative basal area

cover percentage. Use the most familiar method that

provides a consistent, reliable estimate of plant

cover for the pasture being rated.

Canopy cover works best on sod-forming pastures. It

can be determined at any time on continuously

grazed pastures provided stubble heights greater

than 1 inch are present. On rotational pastures, estimate canopy cover of a paddock the day prior to

livestock entry. This will represent the best possible

condition. If it rates fair or lower at this growth

stage, management changes are definitely in order.

Basal area works best on bunch grass pastures. It is

hard to use on pastures where sod-forming grasses

and broadleaf plants dominate. Estimate by eye or

use either the step-point or the point-intercept methods. Basal area is measured by both methods by counting pin hits on live stems and plant crowns at ground

level (within 1 inch above). Where it is most useful,

basal area is more constant than canopy cover and thus

is more reliable.

Plant residue

Plant residue, in various states of decay, provides

additional surface cover and organic matter to the

soil. However, too much standing dead material in

the grass stand reduces the feed value of the forage

consumed and animal intake, and inhibits new plant

shoot growth. Excessive amounts of standing dead

material may cause the forage to be rejected by the

grazing animal. Less than 25 percent of the standing

forage mass should be dead or dying leaves and

stems. Buildup of thatch (mat of undecomposed

residue) at the soil surface indicates retarded residue

decay. Thatch promotes fungal diseases and retards

or prevents shoot and seedling emergence. This

results in forage stand decline.

Plant diversity

Plant diversity is the number of different forage

plants that are well represented (20% or more of

plant cover) in a pasture. Low species diversity

causes season-long pastures, or a set of pastures

grazed as a unit, to be less reliable suppliers of forage

to livestock during the grazing season. Forage production varies more widely through the grazing season because of changing weather and light conditions

and insect and disease pressure. Pastures that have

high species diversity tend to be older, moderately

grazed permanent pastures. Here planted and volunteer forages have adjusted to the management and

the prevailing environmental stresses. No single

forage species is so dominant as to crowd out others.

Having more than one functional plant group growing

either in a pasture or in different, complementary pastures is highly important. This maintains the most

consistent forage supply during the grazing season.

Functional groups of forages are plant groupings that

have similar growth habits and management needs. The

four basic functional groups for improved pastures are

cool-season grasses, warm-season grasses, legumes,

and other grazable broadleaf plants (e.g., Brassicas and

forage chicory). These basic functional groups can be

split into more specific groups, such as upright versus

prostrate and sod-formers versus bunch grasses. However, this extra detail is unwarranted in improved pasture condition evaluations.

Plants from different functional groups are most

compatible when they can compete successfully

together as managed. Mixed species pastures with at

least two functional groups and three to four wellStanding dead residue of mature plants reduce forage quality and

cause livestock to selectively graze around them.

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
represented forage species are generally the most

productive. Higher diversity (over six species) does

not assure higher productivity. It may actually spur

animals to avoid some species and graze others hard,

as species differences in palatability and maturity are

more likely. Potential forage is wasted. Less desirable

species gain in area by outcompeting overgrazed

desirable species. However, trying to prevent this

selectivity by reducing forage on-offer and forcing

animals to eat everything, reduces intake and gains.

This also decreases productivity.

When plant diversity scores low, several courses of

action are possible. The appropriate response depends on the region in which the pasture is located,

its intended use period, and the species growing in it.

Applying other treatment measures may be easier or

more appropriate than trying to grow several plant

species together within a single pasture. These measures include:

• Applying nitrogen fertilizer to a pasture with few

or no legumes present

• Establishing a different forage functional group

in a separate pasture

• Oversowing an annual forage crop into a perennial forage pasture going into dormancy

Always rate plant diversity even if you may ultimately

not wish to change it in that pasture. Monocultures

can be quite productive on seasonal and irrigated

pastures. They can provide abundant production at

times precisely when other pastures on the operating

unit are unproductive. However, when plant diversity

is rated low on an individual field, some alternative

course of action must be in place or developed.

Some, such as feeding hay or applying N fertilizer, are

expensive alternatives.

Plant vigor

Desirable species should be healthy and growing at

their potential for the season when rated. If not, they

will be replaced by weeds and low quality forage plants.

If plant growth conditions really suffer, bare soil will

begin to appear. Some things to consider when rating

plant vigor are color, size of plants, rate of regrowth

following harvest, and productivity. Determine overall

vigor of desirable and intermediate species, and record.

If score is less than four, utilize the causative factors

below to help determine what may be causing the lack

of vigor.

Soil fertility

Adequate, but not excessive, fertility is critical for good

plant vigor. Test soil or plant tissue to determine nutrient status. Excessive amounts of nutrients, particularly

N, P, and K, can also cause animal health and/or water

quality problems. Rank, often lodged, dark green to

blue-green forages are a warning sign of excessive soil

fertility. Maintain adequate nutrient balance to not

exceed maximum economic yield of desirable forage

species. In some areas of the United States, excess salts

and sodium are often present in the soil at levels that

reduce plant vigor. Test those soils for electrical conductivity and exchangeable sodium. Reduce their levels, or plant forage species tolerant of the levels found.

Severity of use

Grazing management is critical in maintaining productive pastures. Close, frequent grazing (mown lawn

appearance) often causes loss of vigor reducing yields

and ground cover. Low stocking rates promote selective grazing that causes excessive residue build-up

(presence of mature seed stalks and dead leaves). This

standing residue blocks sunlight, reduces overall forage

quality, and favors the spread of less palatable and/or

taller, grazing intolerant forages. Assign a value based

on the proportion of the pasture grazed closest and the

height at which it is grazed. Compare that height to

minimum stubble heights recommended for maintaining desired forages.

When urine and dung patches are noticeably greener than the

rest of the pasture, nutrients are limiting production.

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
Insect and disease pressure

Look for signs of leaf, stem, and root damage caused by

insects and disease. Assess their impact on forage

quality, quantity, and stand life. Some are chronic,

occurring yearly, but with little consequence to the

forage stand life. Others take the forage species under

attack out of the stand. Corrective actions to take are

numerous and specific to the insect or disease involved.

Consult with a local, respected forage expert when

unsure of proper course of action.

Livestock concentration areas

Concentration areas are places in pastures where livestock return frequently and linger to be near water,

feed, mineral or salt, or shelter, or to be in shade. Typically, well-worn pathways lead to these preferred areas.

Depending on the degree of usage, these areas are

usually bare and receive extra animal waste. Depending

on where they are on the landscape and flow paths,

they can direct sediment, nutrients, and bacteria to

nearby waterbodies.

Site adaptation of desired species

Climate and soil type play a major role in the vigor of a

given species. Consider these items when evaluating

adaptability:

• cold hardiness

• tolerance to aridness

• summer heat and humidity levels

• frost heave or soil cracking

• soil wetness

• flooding or ponding

• soil acidity or alkalinity

• toxic elements

• salinity

• sodicity

• low or high nutrient levels

Two other factors to consider are the desired species

tolerance to existing grazing pressure and soil and

water management. Plants that hold their growing

point close to the ground can be grazed close provided

they are allowed some time between grazing events to

push out new leaf area. Others that elevate the growing

point into the grazing zone need grazing events timed to

release new shoot growth. The presence and balance of

desired species are compared with those species

present now and their balance. This verifies how well

adapted the desired species were to the site, grazing

pressure, and management.

Climatic stresses

Extremely wet, dry, hot, or cold weather may

threaten plant vigor even when climatically adapted

forage species are present. When rating the pasture,

consider recent weather events and their role in the

present health of a forage stand. Extremely cold and

wet weather can cause temporary nitrogen deficiency symptoms (yellowish leaves). A hard winter

may weaken the stand. A drought can cause the

stand to go dormant. Check for frost or freeze damage to foliage.

Soil pH

Soil pH influences plant vigor primarily through its

effect on nutrient availability. It also influences the

amount of nitrogen-fixing nodules formed on legume

roots. Determine the pH in the surface 3 to 4 inches

through a soil test or reliable field methods. Adjust

pH to provide optimum yield of desirable forage

species.

Note: Reduced yields may continue if the pH in the

subsoil is too low or high. Contact a soil fertility or

forage management specialist for further management options.

Heavy use areas, such as around this feed bunk, often wash

during heavy rains. Note missing hay residue at the bare spots in

foreground.

These areas can direct contaminated runoff to surface waters

unless there is an intervening grass buffer between them and

open channels. Note reed canarygrass riparian area buffer below

feed bunk.

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
Uniformity of use

Check uniformity of use by observing animal grazing

patterns. Uniform grazing results in all desirable and

intermediate species being grazed to a similar height.

Spotty or patterned grazing appears uneven throughout

a pasture with some plants or parts of paddocks grazed

heavily and others lightly. Individual forage species are

being selected for or against by the livestock based on

their palatability and nutritional value. Selectivity is

also affected by forage species stage of maturity differences, amount of forage offered to livestock, and their

length of stay in the paddock. Zone grazing occurs

when one end of the pasture is heavily grazed and the

other end is ungrazed or lightly grazed. It occurs on

long and narrow pastures and ones that run lengthwise

up and down steep slopes. Other pastures that have

shady areas, windbreaks, or hay feeding, creep feeding,

and watering sites whose location and duration of use

at that location skew foraging to one end of a pasture

are often zone grazed as well. Physical barriers, such as

streams, cliffs, and obstructing fencelines, can confine

livestock to one area of a pasture causing zone grazing.

When rating this factor keep in mind that while overgrazing may result in a uniform height (mown lawn

appearance), it is to a height lower than that needed to

maintain all desirable forage species.

Erosion

Sheet and rill

This erosion is soil loss caused by rain drop impact,

drip splash from rainwater dropping off plant leaves

and stems onto bare soil, and a thin sheet of runoff

water flowing across the soil surface. Sheet and rill

erosion increases as ground cover decreases. Evidence of sheet erosion in a pasture appears as small

debris dams of plant residue that build up at obstructions or span between obstructions. Some soil aggregates or worm castings may also be washed into

these debris dams. Rills are small, incised channels in

the soil that run parallel to each other downslope.

They join whenever the ground surface warps and

deflects the direction of their flow. When rills appear,

serious soil loss is occurring. This erosion type also

includes most irrigation-induced erosion.

Streambank, shoreline, and gully

This erosion occurs in large, open drainage channels or

around shorelines. When in pastures, these channels or

shorelines can have heightened erosion problems and

losses of vegetative cover that typically grows on them.

These heightened damages result from grazing animal

traffic in or on them. Open channels may be intermittent or perennial flowing streams or dry washes. The

factors that affect the extent of disturbance livestock

cause to gullies, streambanks, shorelines, and their

associated vegetation are:

• Livestock traffic patterns

• Frequency of use

• Attractiveness of these channels or banks as

sunning, dusting, travel lanes, watering, grazing,

or rubbing areas

• Channel shape (depth, width, presence and

frequency of meanders, and bank stability)

• Flow characteristics (frequency, depth, sediment carried, swiftness, and turbulence)

Wind

Erosion occurs when heavier, windblown soil particles abrade exposed soil and cause dust to become

airborne. Deposition of the heavier soil particles

occurs downwind of obstructions, such as fencelines,

buildings, and vegetation. Often vegetative debris is

windrowed against obstructions.

Areas that are grazed close contrasted with areas largely avoided.

Several causes exist. The one shown is a deep, entrenched stream

barrier and entry choice to pasture.

Spot grazing often occurs where forage growth exceeds livestock

intake at least seasonally. Once established, it stays in place

unless pattern is destroyed seasonally.

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
Percent legume

Legumes are important sources of nitrogen for pastures

and improve the forage quality of a pasture mix when they

comprise at least 20 percent of total air-dry weight of

forage. Deep-rooted legumes also provide grazing during

hot, dry periods in mid-summer. Visually estimate the

percentage of legume present in the total forage mass.

Rate this indicator even if site or grass species preclude

successful legume establishment and reliable survival to

have an effective legume component to fix nitrogen. Most

pastures are nitrogen-limited since much of the nitrogen

excreted by animals eludes plant uptake. Pastures with

few or no legumes present need alternative means of

supplying nitrogen for optimum forage production. When

bloating legume content is greater than 60 percent of total

forage dry weight; bloat incidence in livestock is likely

without preventative steps.

Soil compaction

Soil compaction impacts water infiltration rates and

runoff. Lack of infiltration decreases water available

for plant growth in the soil. Instead, water runs off,

increasing channel erosion downstream, and conveys

contaminants, such as nutrients, from the site, reducing water quality. Soil compaction is best determined

by measuring the bulk density (weight per volume of

soil) at 1-inch increments to plow depth. However,

compaction can be detected in the field using a soil

probe, metal rod, or knife. As these tools are pushed

into the soil, compacted soil layers interrupt their ease

of penetration. Compare in-field resistance to penetration with resistance found at a grazed fenceline where

the livestock cannot stand or walk on the soil surface.

The more noticeable the difference in resistance between the two areas is, the worse the compaction is in

the pasture.

Avoid grazing pastures too close that causes spreading, bloatinducing legumes to become dominant (over 60 percent of stand

by weight).

Wet soils are easily compressed and deformed by livestock

hooves.

Cool-season grass pastures should have 30 percent legume

by weight.

Warm-season grass pastures, like this rotationally grazed

bermudagrass-white clover, should have 20 percent legume for

good livestock performance and nitrogen self-sufficiency.

(Guide to Pasture Condition Scoring, May 2001)
Authors

Dennis Cosgrove is associate professor of agronomy, University of Wisconsin-River Falls and

University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension.

Dan Undersander is professor of agronomy, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University

of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension.

James Cropper is forage management specialist, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service,

Grazing Lands Technology Institute.

Authors extend their thanks to Extension and NRCS reviewers for their input on technical content.

This publication and the Pasture Condition Score Sheet that accompanies it were adapted from

A3667, Determining Pasture Condition, by Dennis Cosgrove, Dan Undersander, and Maurice Davis,

© 1996 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, doing business as Division of

Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

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