Novel Methods for Sustainable Control of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Small Ruminants

Novel Methods for Sustainable Control of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Small Ruminants

Summary

Farmers, small ruminant organization leaders, extension personnel, and scientists from a number of different disciplines in 5 states in the southeastern US, the US Virgin Islands, Denmark, and New Zealand met for two SARE proposal planning workshops at the Fort Valley State University during June and August, 2001. As a result of these workshops, a full proposal was developed and submitted to the Southern SARE Office in January, 2002. This proposal concerns on-farm testing of an integrated small ruminant parasite control program that will combine both conventional (strategic use of anthelmintics) and novel (nematode-trapping fungi, condensed tannins) control methodologies.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. To assemble a multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team of researchers, extension personnel, producer organization leaders, and farmers to discuss, prioritize, and plan a field-based research program for inclusion of biological control of small ruminant GINs using nematode-trapping fungi as a integrated component of a sustainable GIN control program for the southeastern US.

2. To develop an education and outreach plan to effectively share research results and prepare informational material for appropriate clientele groups throughout the southeastern US.

3. To develop a full proposal for submission to the Southern Region SARE Program in 2001.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. An excellent multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team of researchers, extension personnel, producer organization leaders, and farmers was assembled for the project.

2. Two planning workshops were successfully completed with superb input from all individuals in attendance, including producer collaborators.

3. A full Research and Education proposal on integrated control of small ruminant parasitic nematodes was developed and completed by the team and submitted to the Southern SARE Office in January, 2002.

The work left to be done on this project is to develop and submit additional proposals to other funding organizations to support the work and strengthen the collaborative effort.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Producers in the Southern Region were directly involved in all aspects of this project, including participation in the planning workshops and development of the full SARE research and education proposal. The producer’s comments and suggestions for the full proposal were tremendously valuable in producing a proposed research and education program that will directly involve hundreds of small ruminant producers throughout the southern US in surveys of anthelmintic use and goat and sheep management practices, and participation in training workshops on “smart drenching” and other parasite control technologies. Approximately 60 producers from all across the Southern Region will be directly involved in on-farm research projects in the proposed program. All of this work was designed to have immediate impact on profitability of small ruminant production systems in the Southern Region by permitting improved control of the devastating blood worm (Haemoncus contortus), while reducing overall use of expensive anthelmintic drugs.

Collaborators: