Integrated grazing (sheep) for soil health & structure
The impact, measured
Time horizon: 2–4 seasons
Why it works
Dung returns organic matter and microbiology, and light treading incorporates residue, stimulating soil life.
What to measure for this pairing
Why this goal matters
Soil health is the foundation of regenerative viticulture. A soil with good structure, biological activity and organic matter infiltrates and holds more water, releases nutrients gradually and supports a vine that leans less on external inputs.
It is measured by organic matter, aggregate stability, infiltration and soil life (earthworms, microbial respiration). Every one of these responds to how you manage cover, tillage and added organic matter — and all are recordable season over season.
Goal indicators
Market & certification: Increasingly required by sustainability schemes and buyers auditing soil practices.
How to implement the practice
- 1Define the safe grazing window (dormancy, before budburst).
- 2Calculate stocking rate for the available cover.
- 3Respect the safety intervals of any applied treatments.
- 4Log entries, exits and grazed plots.
Frequently asked
Won’t the sheep eat the vines?
In the winter-spring dormancy, before budburst, there is no tender foliage within reach. Outside that window you need barriers or short breeds.
What about spray residues?
It is essential to respect safety intervals and record what was applied to each plot before introducing animals — something the field notebook guarantees.
Same practice, other goals
Same goal, other practices — Soil
How GrapeFlow helps
The proof certification and buyers ask for — logged by plot and date.
Electronic field notebook
Log every operation — cover sowing, grazing, composting, mowing — by plot and date, with an audit-ready history that proves the practice over the years.
Phytosanitary register & copper balance
Every treatment is logged with product, rate and active substance, and copper is summed on the 7-year rolling mean — direct proof of input reduction.
Plot registry & map
Every practice tied to the right plot on the map, with area, variety and history — so you know where you did what and can compare blocks.