Federal State

Lower Saxony and Bremen

Project Title

Smart grazing – Feasibility study on weed control in corn fields by sheep

Project description

Aim of the feasibility study is to control crop weeds with sheep under a low grazing intensity.
Following the theory of feeding type classification for ruminants (browsers-intermediates-grazers) sheep do not like to feed on one plant species. They like to select different plants.
This basis will be the subject of a trial on organically managed corn fields. The sheep should eat weeds and only a little corn plants. In the two-year trial, sheep will take over weed control by grazing on corn fields in addition to tillage. For this purpose, the optimal grazing time as well as stocking rate will be determined on three test plots. Sheep can be used in corn crops when they are no longer passable with machinery. The project offers new perspectives for sheep farming. The integration of "herbivorous specialists" into arable farming. 

Final report

Results and the Final report will be found here, as soon as the project is completed.

Main funding source

Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013)

Project status

ongoing

Total budget applied for in EUR

149,284

Link 1

Webpage not active so far

NUTS3 CODE

DE915