Montana State University researchers have early data that shows sheep grazing wheat stubble can reduce wheat stem sawfly larvae by more than 85 percent.
“No one can say yet that this technique would make wheat producers more money,” said Pat Hatfield, an MSU animal scientist working with Sue Blodgett on the project.
“It’s very preliminary data, from only one year’s research, but it looks like a win-win situation for wheat and sheep producers.”
The wheat producer wins by reducing wheat stem sawfly. The sheep producer wins winter and early spring forage.
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Grazing sheep on wheat stubble may seem strange to some sheep producers, though Hatfield did it successfully for years while with the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, Idaho.
“We have years of data from the sheep station saying this is a very economical forage source,” Hatfield said.
When sheep graze stubble they require a protein supplement, but supplements are generally recommended for winter grazing anyway.
Hatfield and Blodgett plan to continue their studies to determine the mechanism of sawfly control, whether there is a yield improvement in the crop after sheep have fed on the previous crop’s stubble, how sheep grazing affects fall and early spring-sprouting weeds and how sheep dung contributes to soil nutrients.
“We think we have identified two methods of sawfly control. One is sheep eating the stubble and sawfly, effectively destroying sawfly habitat. The second is the hoof action of the sheep simply crushing sawfly larvae,” Blodgett said.
Feed is the largest variable cost a sheep producer faces annually, said Hatfield. This reduces those costs while reducing wheat stem sawfly.
How close sheep are to wheat stubble fields also will be important for producers, since transportation costs would reduce financial benefits. Hatfield said the biggest benefit would come when one neighbour has sheep and another wheat stubble.
