PastureBase Ireland login and phone app: measure grass in the field

Just looking for the login? Go straight to pasturebase.ie and sign in with the account linked to your herd number. Forgotten password? Use the reset link on that page rather than creating a second account. New to the system? The five-minute setup guide is below.

PastureBase Ireland is Teagasc's grass measurement and farm-planning system. To get started, log in through the PastureBase website, open the PBI Grass app on your phone, choose a paddock and record its cover. You can work offline in the field, then sync when coverage returns. This guide covers login, setup and the weekly measurement routine.

Measuring pays back hardest when grass is tight or moving fast. A dry August is exactly that. When you know your farm cover and your growth rate, you can decide on demand, supplement and fodder with numbers instead of a hunch.

PastureBase Ireland is backed by Teagasc. It works on your phone and is designed for regular farm records.

Here's how to get set up and make the weekly walk useful.

How do you log in to PastureBase Ireland?

Start from the official PastureBase Ireland page or the PastureBase website. Use the account details linked to your farm. If you cannot remember the password, use the site's reset route rather than creating a second farm account.

If you are new to the system, contact your local Teagasc adviser or PastureBase support before entering farm data. Have your herd number and paddock map available for setup.

What PastureBase actually does

You record a grass measurement from each paddock — either by walking it with a plate meter or by entering an estimate — and PastureBase does the maths. It tells you your farm cover, your average growth rate, and how many days of grazing you have ahead of you at your current stocking rate.

Why bother? Teagasc's Grass10 programme estimates that utilising one additional tonne of grass dry matter per hectare in a year is worth about €181 per hectare on dairy farms, and €105 per hectare on drystock farms. That is the value of the extra grass you use, not a promised return from opening an account. What you get out of it depends on the measurements and the decisions you make from them.

Setting it up: the three steps

Step one: Register at pasturebase.ie. You'll need your herd number. Takes five minutes. If you've already registered but forgotten your login, the password reset works fine — just use the email you signed up with.

Step two: Add your farm. Enter your paddocks, either by importing a map from your LPIS data on agfood.ie (the faster option) or by manually entering your paddock list and sizes. Do this once and you don't touch it again unless you change field boundaries.

Step three: Do your first measurement. Open the app on your phone, select the paddock, enter the grass cover reading. If you don't have a plate meter, enter your best visual estimate — imperfect data is better than no data. The system calibrates over time.

The phone workflow

The mobile interface isn't slick by any standard, but it does the job. Log your measurements as you walk the farm — paddock by paddock. Takes about twenty minutes for a typical dairy farm once you're in the habit. The cover map updates in real time.

One practical tip: measure on the same day each week and at roughly the same time. Consistency matters more than precision. Your growth rate calculations only make sense if the intervals are regular.

The app can be useful where mobile coverage is poor. Record the cover in the field, keep moving, and synchronise when you have a connection again. Check that the latest walk has uploaded before relying on a report.

What it doesn't do

PastureBase won't make the grazing decision for you. It gives you the numbers — your Teagasc advisor or your own experience interprets them.

If you're new to grass measurement, the Teagasc Grass10 resources are worth reading alongside setting this up. The tool only works as well as your understanding of what the numbers mean.

---

A note on grass management decisions: PastureBase is a data tool, not an advisory service. For grazing management advice specific to your farm system, talk to your Teagasc advisor. Find your local office →

---

Frequently asked questions

Is PastureBase Ireland free?

The PBI Grass app is free to download. Confirm current account and support arrangements with PastureBase or your Teagasc adviser when you register.

Do I need phone coverage in every field?

No. The app is designed to record information offline and synchronise it later. Check that the data has synced before using the latest report.

Do I need a plate meter?

No. A plate meter gives a more consistent measurement, but you can begin with a visual estimate. Use the same method each week so that changes remain meaningful.

Read next: Save 3 hours at calving with these two free apps