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Report
R024 ****
Problem:
Ragwort in permanent pasture
Where: Golden Gate Caravan site, Ampleforth, York
When: July 2003
Status: Countryside Stewardship
Area: 4.14 Hectares (10 acres)
Detail: 128 man-hours (4 men X 4 days) Problem exacerbated
by over-wintering sheep, after late cutting to keep within
Countryside Stewardship rules. Recommended the confinement
of sheep to a small area, as ground becomes winter wet.
Density
: Bad area 30 plants to 25 sq. metres (about 1/3rd
of field). Over the whole site, density was between 5 and
10 plants per 25 sq metres.
Action
taken: 1 experienced & 2 inexperienced young people
pulled & piled the weeds for two days. A 2nd
experienced (fourth) worker joined them on the last day.
Cost
£.540.
Assessment:
this was typical, last minute, ragwort pulling. Much
better to deal with this problem early on (May & June).
The L-Dog enables rosette stage growth to be lifted without
any bending. Shorter handled L-D tools were used, even
though the plants were tall enough to grab.
Recommendation:
if winter grazing is minimised and the field not used as
a winter feeding ground, next years problem will be much
smaller. Keep the sheep confined to small area in winter
or whenever the ground becomes wet. The client was happy
with L-D work, but expressed worry about the management
recommendations, because they would reduce his income from
the grazier.
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