The GO Agri-ROVENAT is testing techniques with sheep and a robot to conserve plant cover in olive groves and vineyards

• The Operational Group, promoted by the CSIC General Foundation, has carried out an innovative trial in several plots of native Galician vines and olive groves in order to optimize sustainability.
• This project, co-financed by the European Union and the Government of Spain, aims to promote rural entrepreneurship through sustainable and profitable agricultural crops, to attract and retain population, as well as to encourage generational renewal in the countryside.

The AGRI-ROVENAT Operational Group trial, promoted by the CSIC General Foundation , is progressing successfully in several plots of native grapevines and olive groves located in the municipality of Quiroga (Lugo). The trial is evaluating how introducing sheep trained to develop an aversion to these crops contributes to maintaining biodiversity and natural vegetation cover. A second method, the use of a remote-controlled robotic mower developed by Millasur , has also been tested. Both systems help preserve the vegetation cover of the agricultural plots while preventing soil erosion, a common problem in sloping areas like the Ribeira Sacra, where this pilot project is being carried out on land belonging to the company Ouro de Quiroga.

Carmen Martínez , director of the VIOR Group (Viticulture, Olive and Rose) of the Biological Mission of Galicia-CSIC , and also scientific coordinator of this project, has supervised the development of the trial and has stated that "the advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods used in the plots of native Galician olive groves and in the vineyard will be compared later."

She also explained that the specific induced aversion to olive groves and vineyards is designed to prevent sheep from feeding on cultivated plants and to ensure they consume only the vegetation covering the ground. This method meets all animal welfare and health standards and was developed, tested, and published by the Recerca des Remugants group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Furthermore, a study on the quality of milk produced by these sheep is planned for the near future, in order to study whether the control of feeding and grazing in olive and vine plots has a direct impact on its composition and flavor.

Optimize sustainability

One of the project's main objectives is to implement and optimize sustainable and environmentally friendly crop management methods that enhance the beauty of the Ribeira Sacra landscape and conserve biodiversity. Another objective is to promote the recovery of native Galician olive varieties.

These proposals are framed within circular economy processes and aim to be effective and profitable for farmers. They also seek to promote the launch of new sustainable entrepreneurship projects to contribute to the socio-economic revitalization of rural areas through increased production of Galician olive oil.

Ouro de Quiroga is an example of an SME driven by residents of the Ribeira Sacra region who committed to showcasing local products and reviving traditions linked to the land with a sustainable approach that includes pioneering innovation processes. Currently, they cultivate two native Galician olive varieties: brava and mansa, which they use to produce extra virgin olive oil.

Members of the Operational Group

The AGRI-ROVENAT Operational Group, co-financed by the European Union and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, is led by the CSIC General Foundation and driven by the VIOR group of the Biological Mission of Galicia (CSIC), which coordinates the scientific and technical aspects of the project. Other participants include the Dairy Safe group of the Institute of Dairy Products of Asturias (CSIC), the Santa Bárbara Labor Foundation (FUSBA), and the companies Ovejas y Corderos and Millasur. Aromas del Narcea and Ouro de Quiroga collaborate in various phases of the project, with administrative coordination by artica+i and communications management by Sánchez Pardo Comunicación. The total cost of the AGRI-ROVENAT Supra-Regional Operational Group is €615,375.45. It has been subsidized with €598,225.45, of which 80% (€478,550.35) corresponds to EAFRD funds.