By ROBERT GIBSON

Last updated 13:33, Thursday, 17 July 2008

THE second edition of a technical guide about grazing Shropshire sheep in tree plantations is now available through the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association.

Under control: Shropshire sheep keep plantations in order by eating the weeds while leaving the trees alone.

The booklet has been significantly expanded since the first edition, published eight years ago, and now includes management advice from Christmas tree growers in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, as well as new sections about the use of Shropshires in apple orchards and vineyards.

Entitled ‘Two Crops From One Acre’, the guide provides all the practical information tree growers will need to assess the suitability of Shropshires for their plantations.

It covers the different grazing systems developed for using Shropshires as an environmentally-friendly method of weed control, plus information on recommended cover-crops, stocking rates and sheep selection.

“Most sheep are unsuitable for controlling herbage in tree plantations because they eat a lot of the foliage and cause serious damage by stripping bark,” said secretary of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders’ Association, Jane Wilson, from Tarset.

“For reasons that remain a mystery, pure-bred Shropshires behave differently and they have a well-proven track record for controlling herbage on Christmas tree farms.

“Thousands of Shropshires are used by tree growers in Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, allowing them to significantly reduce the use of herbicides while producing a valuable second ‘crop’ from their land.”

The use of Shropshires in conifers was first developed around 20 years ago.

Since then, practical experience on many farms has suggested the sheep could also be grazed in deciduous tree plantations, such as orchards.

To buy a copy of the new guide, contact Jane, on 01434 240435 or email shropshire_sheep@hotmail.com