‘Leave your tractor in the shed’: Manjimup local says cows might be the answer to pasture regeneration

A new on-farm trial near Northcliffe is promising to leave the tractor behind — exploring an innovative way to restore pasture by letting cattle (and dung beetles) do all the work. Southern Forests Community Landcare, in partnership with a local farmer, is trialling a new method where cows are fed seeds to establish new pasture growth. The trial is being run on the Northcliffe property of Shaun Gibbon, where a small group of steers will be temporarily confined to a strip of pasture for three to four days. During this time, the cattle will be fed their usual supplements, mixed with a selection of hard-coated pasture seeds, including clover, brassica and ryegrass varieties not present in the paddock. As the cattle digest the feed, seeds pass through their system and are deposited in dung pats across the trial area. Each dung pat within the trial area will then be marked, allowing researchers to monitor exactly what species germinate and how successfully they establish compared to surrounding pasture. Kathy Dawson, secretary of the Southern Forests Community Landcare group said while the possibility of new growth is exciting, the results are largely dependent on the behaviour of the dung beetles already present on the property. “Summer-active dung beetles don’t bury dung deeply, rather at this time of year, they draw moisture and nutrients out of the dung, break it down and spread it across the soil surface,” she said. “The result is what researchers describe as a ‘natural compost mat’, leaving seeds either on the surface or at the soil-dung interface — an ideal position for germination once the break of season arrives.” Previous research has suggested dung beetles may bury seeds too deeply for successful germination, however, Ms Dawson believes timing and beetle behaviour are key. “Winter-active beetles can bury dung 40 to 60 centimetres deep, which is too far for seedlings to emerge,” she said. “But summer-active beetles behave very differently. “That’s also what we’re testing here.” Dung beetles were first introduced to Australia more than 60 years ago to reduce fly and parasite numbers by breaking down livestock dung. Today, researchers say they offer far wider benefits — including improved nutrient cycling, soil structure and hopefully pasture regeneration. “If producers understand what dung beetles are doing on their property, they can work with them rather than against them,” Ms Dawson said. Results from the trial are expected after the season break, with Southern Forests Community Landcare planning to share findings through workshops and future field days. If successful, the approach could offer South West producers a practical, eco-friendly tool for improving pastures whilst reducing reliance on traditional seeding.