Not a baaad idea: Scientists use sheep, not tractors, to manage lawn
Scientists at the Kentville Research and Development Centre are exploring an innovative and eco-friendly approach to apple farming by using sheep to manage grass, fertilize the soil, and reduce the carbon footprint of newly established orchards.
Research at the Kentville Research and Development Centre has been a bit "sheepish."
For the second consecutive year, scientists are monitoring the impact that a flock of sheep is having on soil quality, while reducing the carbon footprint, in newly established apple orchards. It’s all part of an apple orchard renewal project.
When farmers establish a new apple orchard, they traditionally use tractors to plow large areas of the field and treat soil with a pesticide to control pests and diseases. They rely on tractors to manage the vegetative laneways, and spray herbicides to manage weeds under the trees.
“At the same time that they mow the grass, they will fertilize,” said Vicky Lévesque, research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
(Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
The hope is their manure will add nutrients to the soil and reduce the need for heavy equipment. In turn, that will lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Producers establishing a brand new orchard will typically plow the entire area before planting, but the sheep are only working the soil that is directly underneath the trees.
“The entire field will not be disturbed, so we keep the carbon in the soil. We are not losing that in the atmosphere," said Lévesque.
Soil samples are being collected regularly to evaluate the impact of the sheep’s manure on soil quality and nutrient levels.