L I V E S T O C K G R A Z I N G I NA R A B L E R O T A T I O N S U K

Grass- clover or herbal leys and the reintroduction of sheepinto arable farming

Historically sheep and arable went hand inhand, providing the perfect tool for weedcontrol and soil fertility building. The drive towards intensification afterWW2 saw the reduction of such practices. Now the current desire to rebuild soil healthis opening the door for their return.But in a time of reclaiming lost knowledge,what are the best ways to proceed?

SHEEP AND ARABLE

This study aims to assess the benefits ofreintroducing livestock into arable rotationsfrom the perspective of both arable andsheep farmers. Two leys were established within a 12hectare arable field, one with a grass clovermix and the other a herbal mix. The studyhad to be abandoned due to drought in 2018but grazing began in 2019 with sixty ewesand their twin lambs assigned to each ley. Pasture growth rates were recorded aswere lamb weights and worm burdens inboth the herbal ley and grass clover groups.

THE CASE STUDY

Over the past 50 years, UK arable soils have experienced “worrying declines in carbonlevels”, with around 70% of soil carbon being lost since the industrial revolution

Lal et al., 2007; Zomer et al., 2017; PFLA, 2018

T h e b e n e f i t s f o rl i v e s t o c k a n d s o i l

Soil structure:The introduction of a herbal ley had someadvantages with respect to soil structureand root development. Vegetation: Both leys recovered well followinggrazing over a 14 day period during themiddle of July 2019. Herbal leys appeared to have quickerrecovery rates. Potentially a benefit ofdeeper rooting species enabling accessto soil moisture for longer, aidingimproved performance under warmtemperatures. After the 2018 drought the leys had to beundersown. The photographs indicatethat undersowing was successful and amethod that may enable easyimprovements of pastures.

SOIL & VEGETATION

Public Interest75%

Herbal ley 2019 recovery

Drought conditions experienced across the UK duringsummer 2018 meant all data collected in relation tolivestock derives from 2019. Lamb Growth:As a group, lambs on the herbal ley had heavier weightsthan those on the grass/clover ley at both the 8 week andthe 12 week weighing. Parasite Burden: Faecal egg counts indicated that levels of Strongyles andNematodirus were higher in the grass/clover ley group thanthe herbal ley group i.e. parasite burdens were lower inlambs grazing the herbal ley.

LIVESTOCK

"Farmers used sheep to increase fertility of poor ground byallowing them to graze rich fertile land then moving them

onto the poor land, so they transferred the nutrients over intheir gut and deposited them in their droppings”

Barker 2019

R e i n t r o d u c i n g l i v e s t o c k i n t oa r a b l e : t h e c h a l l e n g e s

Manure from grazing sheep spreads additional nutrients across the field which benefits the followingarable crops. This short study suggests that the inclusion of herbal leys benefits both the soil andlivestock when managed correctly. Herbal leys have potential benefits during warm conditions, withdeeper rooting systems improving soil structure and accessing moisture. Lambs on herbal leys showedimproved growth rates and had lower worm burdens. There are a number of challenges that need to be addressed from both sides (arable and sheep farmer) inorder to be successful, from compliance and locating a good herdsmen to tenure rights and weatherconditions. All of which can be mitigated with the right advice from national advisory boards and goodcommunication on both sides.

POTENTIAL & LIMITATIONS

Herbal leys have the capacity to provideadditional benefits for both soil and livestockwhen compared to a grass/clover leyLeys that incorporate a diversity of specieshave a greater capacity for climate resilienceand soil structure improvementsIf managed correctly incorporating livestockcan bring in additional income for theenterpriseLivestock and arable is a potential mechanismfor reducing reliance on artificial herbicidesand pesticides and in turn reducing inputcostsA sustainable way for future farming?

OUTCOMES

“With appropriate management of grazingenterprises, soil function can be regenerated toimprove essential ecosystem services and farm

profitability"Teague 2018

WRITING: ORC & NSA

Brown and Co., Frontier Agriculture Ltd.

Honingham Thorpe Farm and Jack Peacock

THANKS TO

This project has received funding from theEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 research andinnovation programme under grantagreement N° 679302