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A newly introduced dung beetle species, aimed at addressing a critical gap in Tweed’s grazing lands, is showing promising results one year after its release.
In May 2023, Council’s Sustainable Agriculture Program released the new species Onitis caffer, to six cattle grazing properties in the Tweed.
This winter-active beetle aims to fill a critical gap in the Tweed’s grazing land, where the existing beetle population becomes dormant during winter. This dormancy leads to an overabundance of dung which hampers pasture production and can cause environmental and animal health problems.
A recent survey conducted by Council’s Sustainable Agriculture team, indicated that 50% of the sites have signs of successful survival and reproduction.
Council’s Acting Program Leader Sustainable Agriculture Aiden Sloman said the initial results are promising.
“A healthy dung beetle population improves soil health and pasture production, reduces waterway pollution by burying and dispersing dung, and lowers the population of harmful parasites like buffalo fly and ringworm.
“While more time and additional surveys are needed to accurately determine population growth and dispersal, these early results are promising and give us hope for the future integration of this species.
"If we can successfully establish Onitis caffer, it will be a huge step towards enhancing the sustainability of the Tweed’s grazing lands. These impressive beetles are known for burying dung over 50 cm deep, which is deeper than most of our established species.
"Dung beetles do a lot for us, so it’s vital we help them thrive wherever we can. Unfortunately, Dung beetles in adult, egg and larval forms can be severely impacted by common chemicals used to manage animal parasites. That said, we can do a lot to protect dung beetles, like wholistic best practice integrated pest management approaches and using dung beetle-friendly drenches and ear tags.”
Find out more about Council’s sustainable agriculture initiatives at tweed.nsw.gov.au/agriculture-farming or contact Council's Program Leader Sustainable Agriculture on (02) 6670 2400.
This project was delivered by Tweed Shire Council with funding support from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
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