Planning grazing by guesswork is costly; planning it with field‑level satellite insight is a game‑changer. We sit down with Chris Knight of Agribot to unpack how AI, radar, and atmosphere forecasting can measure pasture growth, cut labour, and help UK dairy farms make better, faster decisions.

Chris shares his journey from space and defence systems into agriculture, and why the most powerful shift is modelling each field on its own behaviour. Instead of relying on generic equations and perfect weather data, Agribot blends discrete atmospheric states with optical and radar satellites to read how your sward actually grows over time. Cloud cover isn’t a show‑stopper, because radar sees structure through the gloom. The result is consistent, frequent insight: near‑term dry matter estimates and multi‑week scenarios that flag above‑ or below‑average growth so you can adjust rotations, fertiliser plans, and buffer feeding before the pinch hits.

We also get honest about “accuracy.” Plate meters are useful, but they’re not a gold standard. The win here is consistency and context: a system you can calibrate to your farm that shows change early and keeps watching every field. That opens a bigger conversation about metrics. Should we keep chasing kilos of DM per hectare, or shift towards usable grazing days, megajoules per hectare, or even expected milk from pasture? Different systems need different lenses, and the same data can support them all. What matters is turning complex signals into decisions that raise milk from forage, protect margins, and reduce stress.

There’s a wider story too. With labour tight and weeks long, measurement is the job that slips. Tools that save half a day a week without sacrificing control can lift farmer welfare as much as farm performance. Chris’s team has kept the work mission‑led with support from Innovate UK and Horizon Europe, proving models before monetising and partnering with early adopters to refine accuracy. If you’ve wondered whether satellites can truly help you manage grass in a cloudy country, this conversation gives you the how, the why, and the next steps.

Enjoyed this? Follow and subscribe, share it with a mate who still plate‑meters every paddock, and leave a quick review so more dairy folks can find the show.

Send us a text

For more information about our podcast visit www.chewinthecud.com/podcast or follow us on Instagram @chewinthecudpodcast. ChewintheCud Ltd is also on Facebook & LinkedIn. You can email us directly at [email protected]