Parasitology Commons^™

Re-Thinking The Summer Drenching Program, Brown Besier

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The summer drenching program has provided highly effective sheep worm control in Western Australia for many years - but recent research challenges its long term sustainability.

Trial results suggest that in large parts of the State, summer drenching is the main factor leading to the development of drench resistant worms. Alternative programs less likely to lead to drench resistance will require greater monitoring of worm burdens and panning pasture moves.

Drench Resistence : A Large Economic Cost, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon, Norm Mcquade

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Drench restistant worms can cost sheep farmers a lot of money - more than most probably think. Brown Besier, Jill Lyon and Norm McQade discuss some new research that shows the value of conducting routine drench tests to ensure effective worm control.

Sustainable Worm Control In Sheep, Robert Wroth

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Deciding on the best worm control program for your farm can be a complex matter, but guidelines in this article by Robert Wroth should make it simpler.

Breeding Sheep For Worm Resistance, John Karlsson, Johan Greeff, Julia Harris

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sheep production os one of Western Australia's most important agricultural industries. However, it is faced with the serious threat of sheep worm populations becoming increasingly resistant to the available drenches.

Although it's not a 'quick fix' solution, part of the long term answer may be selection for sheep with greater resistance to worms.

The Sheep Lice Detection Test, Peter Morcombe

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sheep farmers would agree it is difficult to find sheep lice when carrying out an inspection.

The lice detection test makes this task easier and helps farmers decide how to control lice. The test also helps community liaison groups with eradication of lice infestations in specific areas, and provides data for epidemiologists to monitor changes in prevalence of lice and efficacy of treatments. Tests are much cheaper than flock inspection on the farm.

The present lice detection test was developed by the Australian Wool Testing Authority (A WTA) and introduced as an integral part of the Western Australian Sheep Lice …

On The Trail Of The Native Budworm, Kevin Walden

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Native budworm, the worst pest of lupins, is a bit of a uiill-o-the-unsp. Some years the native budworm moths go virtually unnoticed. In others, they appear in plague proportions without warning - in these years, the cost to growers in lost yield runs into millions of dollars.

If an early warning system can be developed to predict the extent of moth flights into lupin crops, and this seems possible, major crop losses could be averted.

The Department of Agriculture has started research to develop a system of predicting the size of spring flights of native budworm moth. We need to …

Summer Drenching Of Sheep : New Recommendations For High Rainfall Areas, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

'Summer drenching' has been a highly successful strategy for controlling sheep worms in Western Australia's winter rainfall regions for many years. Drenching to remove worm burdens in summer, when the risk of reinfection by worm larvae is low, is an efficient basis to year-round worm control. The Department of Agriculture recently altered its recommendations for the timing of summer drenches to take account of new findings regarding the survival of worm larvae over summer. It now recommends that sheep farmers give the first summer drench when the pasture is beginning to dry off, in spring in most locations. Experiments atMt …

The Western Australian Pig Health Monitoring Scheme, Ashley Mercy

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Over 30,000 slaughter pigs from 245 Western Australian piggeries have been examined for the presence of 16 diseases since the Western Australian Pig Health Monitoring Scheme (PHMS) started in January 1987. The scheme was developed by the author in conjunction with Dr Chris Brennan, a pig veterinary consultant. Monitoring of slaughter pigs is an important part of providing an effective veterinary service to commercial piggeries. It can be used in accreditation schemes and to help in certifying herds free of particular disease

The Live Sheep Export Industry, Richard Norris, Barry Richards, Tony Higgs

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Australia's live sheep trade to Middle Eastern countries is an important export industry. However, about 2 per cent of the sheep die, mainly during the sea voyage. The Western Australian Department of Agriculture has conducted a major research programme to improve the health and welfare of sheep during live export. The programme has'examined many aspects of the export sheep industry, and a substantial part of it has focused on why sheep die during sea transport.

New Approach To Control Of Drench-Resistant Sheep Worms On Farms, Di Hopkins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Worms cost the Western Australian sheep industry up to $120 million every year, and anthelmintic (drench) resistant worms account for an increasing proportion of this amount. Resistant strains of sheep worms have been found on about 95 per cent of farms tested. This alarmingly high level indicates that all farmers should have a resistance management strategy which includes having a resistance test done on their farms before they drench their sheep. However, only about 20 per cent of farmers have had a resistance test done. Farmers often believe drench resistance is not a problem on their farms, mainly because production …

Eradication Of The Liver Fluke In Dairy Cattle, Dave Muirson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In July 1987, a meat inspector found liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) in a cow at an export abattoir at Waroona. This was the first evidence of the liver fluke completing its life cycle in Western Australia. Fortunately, the Department of Agriculture is reasonably confident that a comprehensive drenching programme has eradicated the liver fluke. The establishment of liver fluke in the south-west coastal areas could cause a serious problem for cattle producers and the small number of sheep producers. Stock would need additional drenching, and if it was not carried out effectively production could be lost or stock could die. …

The Queensland Fruit Fly Eradication Campaign, G P. Ayling

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Western Australia has started an extensive eradication campaign against the Queensland fruit fly, one of the worst horticultural pests in the world.

The programme, the largest of its kind in Australia, and one of the biggest in the world, involves the integration of three tequniques for fruit fly control: lure trapping, protien baiting and the release of sterile male flies.

Potato Cyst Nematode, J M. Stanton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

For many years, Australia has been the only large land mass in the world in which potato cyst nematode has not been found. However, in 1986, potato cyst nematode was found on four properties at Munster 10km south of Perth, Western Australia.

Potato cyst nematode is a minute worm like organism which attacks the roots of several plant species including potatos, causing very high yield losses. It is a very serious pest of potatoes throughout the world and strict quarantine controls are enforced in countries and potato-growing areas froo of nematode.

Rhizoctonia Patch Of Cereals, G C. Macnish

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Rhizoctonia patch is now widespread within Western Australia, having been recorded on all cereals and on a wide variety of other crops and pasture plants. Although the disease-as its name implies - looks spectacular in the field, the overall reduction in crop yield is probably small. However, its increasing frequency is causing considerable concern as the disease appears to be associated with minimum or reduced tillage systems.

Flystrike In Sheep : Secondary And Tertiary Flies Striking Sheep In Western Australia, N Monzu

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Unlike primary species of blowflies, the secondary and tertiary species of flies cannot initiate a strike, but their activity in the presence of the primary blowflies becomes significant in the death of struck sheep. This is particularily so when the hairy maggot blowfly is involved. Future management of sheep flocks to minimise deaths may require recognition of these secondary and tirtiary flies.

This article presents some basic facts about these flies.

New Policy Hits Hard At Sheep Lice, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In March 1977 the regulation requiring compulsory routine dipping of all sheep within 30 days of shearing changed, and only infested flocks were required to be dipped. This change has allowed concentrated eradication efforts.

Natural Control Of Insect Pests On The Ord?, P J. Michael

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Current trials conducted by the Department of Agriculture at Kununurra are indicating that there may be an important place for biological control of insect pests of the Ord River Irrigation Area.

Flystrike Control Programmes, H E. Fels

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE various flystrike control methods all avoid susceptible patches of skin on the sheep.

To avoid work—

• choose methods that give the most control for the least effort, and

• combine these methods into a system that works well.

How To Control Flystrike In Sheep, H E. Fels

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FLYSTRIKE affects incomes and efficiency because a large part of the work done on sheep farms is to prevent or treat it, and because it kills sheep and reduces the amount and quality of production.

Dogs, Tapeworms, Cysts : And Soiled Sheep, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

To protect our export markets it is necessary to meet the required standards and to eliminate as far as possible any sources of cysts, contamination, blemished carcasses or other defects in meat.

Some of these things are beyond the control of the individual farmer, but there are some things he can do to help ensure that the sheep he sends to abattoirs are free of defects which threaten export markets.

Feeding And Care Of The Farm Dog, J B. White

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Most farmers acknowledge the value of a well trained dog when handling sheep, but few appreciate that without correct care and feeding such a dog may reduce their profits and constitute a hazard to the health of themselves and their families.

Cysticercus Ovis : Sheep Measles, G C De Chaneet

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

CYSTICERCUS OVIS, commonly known as sheep "measles", has come into prominence in the last few years because of the rejection of affected carcasses by overseas markets. Recently it was one of the causes of a complete ban on imports of Australian mutton by-the.iJnited States and Canada.

Hydatid Disease In Western Australia, G C De Chaneet

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BECAUSE hydatid disease is a disease of humans as well as animals, every dog owner should be aware of the conditions that perpetuate hydatids and the methods of control.

The incidence of hydatids in Western Australia in the past has not been high.

However, the increase in sheep numbers over recent years, together with the intensification of farming methods, may lead to a rise in incidence unless stock owners, particularly sheep farmers, take steps to control the disease.

Controll Of Eelworm Diseases Of Bananas In Western Australia : A Review, O M. Goss, M. G. Hawson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

During the 1950's, a decline in bananas in plantations in Carnarvon, caused by heavy infestations of eelworms, prompted investigations into eelworm control.

The work was started in 1955. The results and recommendations based on experiments have been published in Department of Agriculture Bulletin 3532.

Sheep Worm Control And Lambing Time In High Rainfall Areas, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Indications from a continuing sheep trial at Margaret River are that farmers in high rainfall areas could increase stocking rates and lamb growth rates by lambing in September- October rather than July-August.

The results also indicate that farmers in the area may be spending more than necessary on worm control.

Round Worms : Important Parasites Of Pigs, F C. Wilkinson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ROUND WORMS are usually found in the small intestine of pigs. The adults average six to 10 inches long. They are creamy-white and cylindrical in shape, tapering to a point at both ends.

Diseases Of Clovers In Western Australia, W A. Shipton

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

LEGUMES of the Trifolium species are grown widely in the State, and occupy an important place in our Agriculture.

There are a number of parasitic diseases of clovers, yet none have gained major economic importance.

Citrus Red Scale Control, G D. Rimes

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE RED SCALE (Aonidiella aurantii Masc.) is widely distributed throughout the world and is a serious pest in countries with semi-arid climates such as California, South Africa, Palestine and Australia.

The home of the pest is probably China, but it has been known in Australia for over 70 years and it was introduced into North America from the continent.

Daffodil Eelworm Diseases, O M. Goss

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

EELWORMS or nematodes are minute worm-like organisms, some of which cause plant diseases.

The plant parasitic forms are not visible to the naked eye but the damage resulting from their attack can be quite severe.

Removing Sooty Mould On Oranges, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

SOOTY Mould is one of the most common and most disfiguring blemishes on oranges.

A chemical dipping treatment has recently been perfected by a joint effort of the New South Wales Department of Agriculture and C.S.I.R.O.