Earthworm Abundance Increased by Mob-Grazing Zero-Tilled Arable Land in South-East England

Trickett, Toni; Warner, Douglas

doi:10.3390/earth3030052

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 56 publications

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“…On the other hand, integrating crop-livestock farming allows for better utilization of farm resources and increases farmer income through the sale of animals and their products [18,29]. Also, by utilizing animals in cover crop management, the transition to organic farming or regenerative agriculture practices becomes natural and facilitated [3,30].…”

Section: Sheep Walking Gave the Same Olive Yield As Herbicide And Til...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ground Management through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

Dimande,

Arrobas,

Correia

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Soil management in orchards can have several economic and environmental implications. In this study, three different soil management systems were compared in a dry-farmed olive grove: conventional tillage (Tillage), glyphosate-based herbicide (Herbicide) and Sheep Walking. The experiment lasted eleven years (2011-2022) and was carried out after a previous trial conducted on the same plot with the same treatments and duration (2001-2011). However, in the earlier trial, the Herbicide and Sheep Walking treatments switched positions in the plot, while the tillage treatment remained in its original place. The average total accumulated olive yields between 2011 and 2022 were 225.1, 230.9, and 245.0 kg tree–1 for the Sheep Walking, Tillage, and Herbicide treatments, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed between the treatments. The levels of total organic carbon in the soil, measured in samples collected in the last year of the study, were 41.3, 33.7, and 37.3 g kg–1, respectively for the same treatments. These findings indicated that the Tillage treatment exhibited lower soil organic matter content and reduced bioavailability of some nutrients, which raises concerns about its sustainability. On the contrary, employing Sheep Walking with an appropriate stocking rate, effectively controlling vegetation in the spring, ensured favourable soil properties and olive yields comparable to the other treatments. Moreover, the Sheep Walking approach provides supplementary advantages to the farmer, including revenue from the sale of animal products and the opportunity to transition to organic farming systems, which better align with the preferences of contemporary societies.

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Section: Sheep Walking Gave the Same Olive Yield As Herbicide And Til...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ground Management through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

Dimande,

Arrobas,

Correia

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ground Management Through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

Dimande,

Arrobas,

Correia

et al. 2024

Agriculture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soil management in orchards can have several economic and environmental implications. In this study, three different soil management systems were compared in a dry-farmed olive grove: conventional tillage (tillage), glyphosate-based herbicide (herbicide) and sheep grazing. The experiment lasted eleven years (2011–2022) and was carried out after a previous trial conducted on the same plot with the same treatments and duration (2001–2011). However, in the earlier trial, the herbicide and sheep grazing treatments switched positions in the plot, while the tillage treatment remained in its original place. The average total accumulated olive yields between 2011 and 2022 were 225.1, 230.9, and 245.0 kg tree−1 for the sheep grazing, tillage, and herbicide treatments, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed between the treatments. The levels of total organic carbon in the soil, measured in samples collected in the last year of the study, were 41.3, 33.7, and 37.3 g kg−1, respectively, for the same treatments. These findings indicated that the tillage treatment exhibited lower soil organic matter content and reduced bioavailability of some nutrients, which raises concerns about its sustainability. On the contrary, employing sheep grazing with an appropriate stocking rate, effectively controlling vegetation in the spring, ensured favourable soil properties and olive yields comparable to the other treatments. Moreover, the sheep grazing approach provides supplementary advantages to the farmer, including revenue from the sale of animal products and the opportunity to transition to organic farming systems, which better align with the preferences of contemporary societies.

show abstract

Earthworm Abundance Increased by Mob-Grazing Zero-Tilled Arable Land in South-East England

Cited by 2 publications

References 56 publications

Ground Management through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

Ground Management through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

Ground Management Through Grazing in Rainfed Olive Orchards Provides High Olive Yields and Has Other Potential Benefits for Both the Soil and the Farmer

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