ON FARM SOUTHERN SHEEP AND CATTLE FEEDBASE f Beetles with benefits The Ferguson family has seen the soil health benefits from dung beetle activity at their property for more than four decades. Dave Ferguson believes dung beetles are a zero-to-low maintenance part of his enterprise, working tirelessly to improve soil texture, water permeation and add valuable nutrients to his paddocks. “Just about everywhere you go on the place, if you kick a pat over you’ll see beetle activity and tunnels underneath them,” Dave said. “Every hole represents soil that’s been cycled and manure that’s been taken underground to improve nutrient levels,Dave Ferguson and DBEE researcher Dr Russ Barrow. so you know it’s beneficial.” Image: Matt Beaver. Along with this cycling, the beetles also clear land of dung to stop nutrientDave’s participation in the DBEE run-off into waterways – essentiallyproject is part of a long family history of LESSONS providing free land improvement. involvement in agricultural trials. LEARNED “Since we’ve owned this property we “Since the 1960s, Dad’s been involved haven’t done anything in particular toin agricultural trials of programs such as> Dung beetles are a low-maintenance look after the beetles and their healthcarrying capacity and input rates, so I’msystem for land improvement. and activity has been fine,” Dave said.following his lead. > Identifying seasonally active “There’s potential for valuable dung beetle species will ensure “It’s just an unbelievably information to be extracted from this year-round benefits are achieved. low‑maintenance system research, which can be returned to and one that carries a lot producers, so we’re really happy to takeDavid Ferguson part in programs like this.” E: david@kimoestate.com of benefits for the land.” In particular, Dave’s interested to see what species of dung beetles are MLA's dung beetle hub: Dung beetle activity at the Fergusons’ mla.com.au/dungbeetles property, ‘Kimo Estate’, is being seasonally active at their property and if there’s potential to increase Dung Beetle Ecosystem monitored by the MLA-supported Dung Engineers project: Beetle Ecosystem Engineers (DBEE) their numbers. ■ dungbeetles.com.au project to research their distribution Learn about the red meat and activity in different environmental industry’s target to be carbon regions across southern Australia neutral by 2030: mla.com.au/cn30 (see story page 34). SNAPSHOT:David Ferguson, ‘Kimo Estate’, Gundagai, NSW Sl Area: Enterprise: Livestock: Pasture: Soil: Rainfall: 2,600ha Angus cattle and 5,500 sheep Improved and nativeA mixture of 600mm Meat Plus sheep 300–400 cattle pastures including black, red and tall fescue, clovergranite soils varieties, phalaris and fodder crops 36