The first Lorraine SUPER-G farm network co-innovation workshop took place on September 24th 2018 in EARL DU CYTISE in Lorraine, France.
The main objectives of this day were to:
- Introduce the SUPER-G project
- Understand why the EARL DU CYTISE farmers test innovations in their farm, and to share the advantages and disadvantages of these practices
The EARL DU CYTISE has tested two innovative techniques: Rotational Grazing and Conserving Grass on the Field.
The 3 objectives of the farmers using Rotational Grazing are:
- Value grass at best (longer grazing in summer than in conventional grazing)
- Improve the quality of grasslands (improved flora)
- Improve animal performances (gain of growth but also in docility)
By Conserving the Grass on the Field the breeders intend to:
- Save harvesting spent and time on spring
- Bring the organic matter to the soil with grass that will not be grazed and trampled
- Unused grass left on the ground allows the shade to promote regrowth
- Make a natural over-seeding by the seeds of the mature grass present in the excreta or fallen to the ground
After the innovations were presented most farmers were interested in the rotational grazing and some of them already practise this technique on their farms. Regarding the grazing of the stock of standing grass, they were much more sceptical.
See below a photograph from this day.