Rangeland Ecology & Management

Get reliable science

Grass-Cast
Grass-Cast indicates for ranchers and other grassland managers whether plant productivity (in pounds per acre) is likely to be above-normal, near-normal, or below-normal in the upcoming growing season relative to the 30+ year history of their local area (individual 6-mile x 6-mile grid cells). Grass-Cast bases this estimate on climate data including daily weather, evapotranspiration, NDVI (a remotely sensed greenness index), and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP, a measure of peak plant biomass). Grass-Cast does not differentiate between forage and non-forgae plants, or take into account local details about soil, land use, and other factors managers need to assess to get an accurate picture of potential productivity on a pasture-scale. Details of the Grass-Cast model are published in journal articles, which are listed on the Grass-Cast website (https://grasscast.unl.edu/) under the “FAQ” tab.Tutorials for Grass Cast are available here: https://drought.unl.edu/Education/Tutorials/Grass-Cast.aspx See CCAST Case Study about the use of Grass Cast here: https://arcg.is/1zaaz81 and webinar about the project here: https://youtu.be/nIGerxDY4ms?t=974
CART Geographical Scope
Great Plains
Southwestern USA
CART Topic
Vegetation Management
Grazing Management
CART Tool Type
Map
WebApp
Contact Information
Danelle Peck: dannele.peck@usda.gov