LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS NEED TO KNOW THE QUALITY AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF THE PASTURE TO OBTAIN OPTIMAL FORAGE UTILIZATION AND HIGH ANIMAL GROWTH RATES. ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF FORAGE MASS AND QUALITY ALSO HELPS LIVESTOCK MANAGERS TO DETERMINE STOCKING RATES AND DURATION OF GRAZING PRECISELY. NONOPTIMAL STOCKING RATES AND GRAZING DURATIONS DIRECTLY AFFECT THE PROFITABILITY OF PASTURE-BASED LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS. THEREFORE, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP FORAGE MASS QUALITY AND QUANTITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS FOR PRECISION PASTURE MANAGEMENT. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ARE TO: 1) OBTAIN AERIAL IMAGES WITH UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (DRONES) EQUIPPED WITH VISIBLE AND INFRARED CAMERAS; 2) DEVELOP AND USE GROUND-BASED SENSORS MOUNTED ON A CUSTOM-BUILT GROUND ROBOT TO MEASURE BIOMASS HEIGHT AND QUALITY; AND 3) COMBINE AERIAL AND GROUND MEASUREMENTS TO ASSESS PASTURE QUALITY AND PREDICT PASTURE YIELD. AERIAL AND GROUND MEASUREMENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER SINGLE SPECIES PLOTS IN THE FIRST AND SECOND YEAR OF THE PROJECT TERM. THE DEVELOPED MODELS AND MECHANISMS WILL BE VERIFIED OVER 5-ACRE PASTURE PADDOCKS PLANTED WITH SINGLE SPECIES DURING THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PROJECT TERM. THE TESTS WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER SINGLE PLANT SPECIES ON RELATIVELY SMOOTH PLOTS. ONCE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SYSTEM ARE CONFIRMED, MIXED SPECIES AND UNEVEN TERRAINS WILL BE TESTED. PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF FORAGE INVENTORY AND YIELD WILL HELP MINIMIZING THE OVER APPLICATION OF PLANT NUTRIENTS, THUS REDUCING INPUT COSTS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF CATTLE AND DAIRY PRODUCTION. HENCE, THE PROFITABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF PASTURE-BASED CATTLE PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE.