Challenging sheep grazing in orchards: Changes in nutrition, performance, and the health of animals and the effects on the vegetation and soil

Abstract

We proposed a mixture of animal husbandry and fruit tree industry: livestock grazing under an orchard layer to increase agricultural productivity per area and reduce the costs of feed, fertilizer, and weed control. Lambs were reared in-house for 1 month and then moved to a pear orchard for 1 month of grazing. We recorded the changes in body weight, blood properties (e.g., albumin, cholinesterase, and nonesterified fatty acids), and parasitic infection to compare the in-housed lambs with the grazing lambs in the orchard. Additionally, we conducted field investigations for changes in vegetation and soil properties before and after grazing. Grazing caused significant increases in body weight, helminth eggs in dung, and soil water retention, and significant decreases in plant biomass, grass digestibility, and soil hardness. In contrast, the nutritional values of the feed, blood properties, and soil chemical properties (e.g., pH, P, N, and C) were not significantly changed after grazing. These results highlighted that the fruit tree industry combined with livestock production would be an acceptable management approach for Japanese agriculture, although further case studies are required.

Leveraging Campus Landscapes for Public Health: A Pilot Study to Understand the Psychological Effects of Urban Sheep Grazing on College Campuses

“…Historically, sheep have been critical in maintaining landscapes, including iconic ones such as those in Central Park and at the White House. Given growing recognition of the need for resource conservation, there is a resurgence of interest in introducing sheep to other sustainable urban landscape systems (for example, to manage vegetation in the narrow aisles of solar farms [2], orchards [3], and vineyards [4]; to improve soil health and reduce the need for tillage in sustainable agriculture [5]; and to target the dry weeds that provide fuel for wildfires in the wildland urban interface [6]. The introduction of sheep into the landscape is a form of grazing lawnscape management (GLM), which is seen as a sustainable alternative to traditional management regimes of gas-powered mowing, fertilizing, and organic waste composting.…”

Relationships between sheep nematode infection, nutrition, and grazing behavior on improved and semi-natural pastures

“…As is the case elsewhere, livestock grazing in Japan is associated with a risk of contracting parasites ( Yoshihara et al., 2022 ). The typical vegetation in a Japanese grazing pasture is artificially sown, which augments the existing vegetation, thereby improving its productivity.…”

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

“…In the latter case, the approach may involve using a single species or biodiverse mixtures containing different botanical groups with varying growth habits and biological cycles, depending on the specific objectives intended for the orchard. Methods for managing cover crops can also vary, including mechanical mowing, grazing, or cutting vegetation and leaving it on the ground as mulch [3][4][5]8,18,19].…”