Weed Control by Grazinq Goats In Wheat and Beans

Publikations-Art

Vortrag

Autoren

Nuoffer,G.; Vießmann,P.; Gall,C.F.

Erscheinungsjahr

1989

Herausgeber

Northwestern Agricultural University Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China

Tagungsname

International Symposium on Dairy Goat Production and its Ecosystem

Tagungsort

Shaanxi, P.R. China

Tagungsdatum

May 30 to June 3,1989

Spring wheat (Triticum vulgare) and field beans (Vicia faber minor) grown without herbicide application were grazed in three different vegetation stages (tillering, shooting and earing in wheat; 25, 35 and 80 cm plant height in beans) by 22 one-year old, non-pregnant goats. The animals were stall-fed with green forage (purple clover and rye-grass) prior to the grazing trials. Experimental plots were grazed once at a high stocking rate (22 goats per 625 m2) for one hour at each of the three crop growth stages. Animals rejected field beans before blossoming and concentrated solely on weeds (Sinapis arvensis, Thlaspi aravense, Agropyron repens). Some damage to crops was caused by treading. The main weed on wheat fields was Rumex crispus. While during the first 15 minutes of grazing goats almost exclusively preferred Rumex crispus, they gradually began feeding more and more on wheat. The preliminary results show that goats select weeds growing on bean and wheat fields. The degree of preference depends on the difference in taste between crop and weeds. Crop growth stage, time of grazing and stocking rate most suitable for a grazing plan to control weeds by grazing goats will have to be elaborated in ongoing experiments