The secret weapon to wipe out toxic giant hogweed has been revealed…SHEEP.
Burns from the fast-growing plant – the most dangerous in Britain – could be a thing of the past thanks to the farm animal, a study has found.
The invasive summer plant can grow to heights of 5m (16ft).
The sap in its leaves and stems can cause severe skin burns – leaving Brits hospitalised.
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It causes blisters or a rash but can lead to blindness.
It is usually controlled by spraying it with pesticides or by removing flowering heads to prevent the spread of tens of thousands of seeds.
But researchers have found repeated grazing by sheep can kill the plant.
The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative has spent the past four years monitoring sheep in a giant hogweed-dominated area .
The study – which took place near the River Deveron at Macduff, Scotland – found the animals’ feeding led to the plant’s taproot dying off.
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The researchers found the “woolly warriors” were unaffected by the toxic sap.
The trial could lead to sheep being rolled out across the UK in a bid to kill off the toxic plant.
Project officer Karen Muller said: “The monitoring undertaken was really important.
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“As it allowed us to adjust our grazing regime each year and find the right balance between grazing the giant hogweed and avoiding overgrazing – thereby protecting native plant species.
“We reduced grazing pressure over the first few years and settled on a regime that controlled giant hogweed with limited impacts on native flora.”
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