Interspecific benefits and limitations in a crop-livestock system combining rabbits and apple trees
Abstract
Agroecological systems aim to mimic natural ecosystems by promoting interactions between plants and animals, creating synergies that enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability. However, most crop-livestock systems focus on cereals or forage crops with ruminants, while other associations, particularly involving uncommon livestock species, remain rare. To address this knowledge gap, this proof-of-concept study evaluated the benefits and limitations of a novel rabbit–apple association for both plants and animals. To assess the benefits of trees for rabbits, 72 growing rabbits were placed in an apple orchard (AO) and 72 in a grassland (GL). These benefits were measured in terms of alternative feed sources (apples and grass), a milder microclimate (shade), protection from aerial predators, and health and welfare indicators. Rabbits in the AO accessed a greater diversity of feed sources, reducing pelleted feed intake by 4.7% compared with rabbits in the GL. Apple trees provided shade, lowering the daily thermal amplitude by 1.5 °C compared to the GL. Under these conditions, rabbits exhibited adequate growth (average live weight 2.4 kg at 73 days) and maintained good health. Only one rabbit died from myxomatosis, and no predation occurred. The benefits of rabbits for the trees were assessed in two areas of the AO, with rabbits ( n = 215 trees) and without rabbits ( n = 55 trees). These assessments included measures of soil mineral fertility and the consumption of grass and fallen fruit. Areas with rabbits had 29.6% more potassium content in the soil than in areas without rabbits. Daily consumption of grass (54 g of dry matter per rabbit) and fallen apples (up to 230 g per rabbit), combined with the improvement of soil minerals, may reduce the need for fertilizers and mechanical weeding. Despite tree guards, 16.3% of trees exposed to rabbits showed some damage, mainly due to poorly fitted guards or the size of rabbits allowing animals to gnaw above the guard. Properly designed protection can mitigate this risk, which remains lower than damage caused by other livestock species. In summary, this proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of integrating rabbit and apple production within the same production area. The observed mutual benefits suggest this approach could contribute to more sustainable farming. Further research is needed to confirm these results in the long-term, and optimizing management practices may address the observed limitations.
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BibTeX
@article{savietto2026interspecific,
title = {{Interspecific benefits and limitations in a crop-livestock system combining rabbits and apple trees}},
author = {Davi Savietto and Valérie Fillon and Carole Bannelier and Alexis Rodriguez and Karine Morel and Solène Borne and Sylvaine Simon and Myriam Grillot and Floriane Derbez and Stéphanie Drusch},
journal = {Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1017/s1742170526100568},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05748245v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interspecific benefits and limitations in a crop-livestock system combining rabbits and apple trees
AU - Davi Savietto
AU - Valérie Fillon
AU - Carole Bannelier
AU - Alexis Rodriguez
AU - Karine Morel
AU - Solène Borne
AU - Sylvaine Simon
AU - Myriam Grillot
AU - Floriane Derbez
AU - Stéphanie Drusch
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
DO - 10.1017/s1742170526100568
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05748245v1
AB - Agroecological systems aim to mimic natural ecosystems by promoting interactions between plants and animals, creating synergies that enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability. However, most crop-livestock systems focus on cereals or forage crops with ruminants, while other associations, particularly involving uncommon livestock species, remain rare. To address this knowledge gap, this proof-of-concept study evaluated the benefits and limitations of a novel rabbit–apple association for both plants and animals. To assess the benefits of trees for rabbits, 72 growing rabbits were placed in an apple orchard (AO) and 72 in a grassland (GL). These benefits were measured in terms of alternative feed sources (apples and grass), a milder microclimate (shade), protection from aerial predators, and health and welfare indicators. Rabbits in the AO accessed a greater diversity of feed sources, reducing pelleted feed intake by 4.7% compared with rabbits in the GL. Apple trees provided shade, lowering the daily thermal amplitude by 1.5 °C compared to the GL. Under these conditions, rabbits exhibited adequate growth (average live weight 2.4 kg at 73 days) and maintained good health. Only one rabbit died from myxomatosis, and no predation occurred. The benefits of rabbits for the trees were assessed in two areas of the AO, with rabbits ( n = 215 trees) and without rabbits ( n = 55 trees). These assessments included measures of soil mineral fertility and the consumption of grass and fallen fruit. Areas with rabbits had 29.6% more potassium content in the soil than in areas without rabbits. Daily consumption of grass (54 g of dry matter per rabbit) and fallen apples (up to 230 g per rabbit), combined with the improvement of soil minerals, may reduce the need for fertilizers and mechanical weeding. Despite tree guards, 16.3% of trees exposed to rabbits showed some damage, mainly due to poorly fitted guards or the size of rabbits allowing animals to gnaw above the guard. Properly designed protection can mitigate this risk, which remains lower than damage caused by other livestock species. In summary, this proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of integrating rabbit and apple production within the same production area. The observed mutual benefits suggest this approach could contribute to more sustainable farming. Further research is needed to confirm these results in the long-term, and optimizing management practices may address the observed limitations.
SN - 1742-1705
ER -