Other technologies
AWI has undertaken, and continues to undertake, research into various other technologies and initiatives to combat flystrike.
Integrated Parasite Management
The Integrated Parasite Management – sheep (IPM-s) project was established to develop and prove systems for the control of worms, lice and flies that reduce our reliance on chemical control.
AWI (and others) have developed and continue to develop a set of practical management tools, based around the concept of integrated parasite management. IPM-s is about identifying and implementing strategies that use available tools in a coordinated manner, minimising parasite control costs and losses, minimising the need to apply synthetic chemicals and reducing wool residue levels from ecto-parasite control programs.
A series of 23 national demonstration farms were set up across Australia to provide an insight into the practicalities of adopting IPM-s management on-farm and its impact on parasite populations and farm productivity. The key farm management strategies messages arising from the IPM-s project regarding flystrike are:
- correct tail docking and mulesing (or replacement technology);
- strategic timing of crutching and shearing;
- selecting sheep with reduced susceptibility to both body and breech strike;
- controlling faecal scouring through good worm control, selection for low dag score and nutritional management;
- strategic application of pesticides with regard to fly biology, flystrike risk and residues; and
- other methods that may be applicable on some properties, including choice of low-flystrike risk paddocks for the most susceptible sheep, and the strategic use of flytraps.
AWI has also issued a 'Fighting Flystrike' training CD containing a practical guide to assist woolgrowers to minimise the occurrence and extent of blowfly strike in their flocks. The key objective of the CD is to help growers better understand the factors that lead to blowfly strike and to assist in implementing management plans. The program is divided into six clearly defined modules that allow woolgrowers to quickly and effectively access information that best suits their situation. Each module is accompanied by practical tools and case studies to demonstrate how other woolgrowers are managing the risk of blowfly strike.
Biocontrol of blowflies
The use of natural enemies or other biological agents to assist in controlling pests is not new, with producers already harnessing naturally occurring nematodes for a range of pasture applications.
Fungal spores were tested as a biopesticide against sheep lice and blowfly. 70 fungal isolates were studied in the lab to establish their growth requirements and preferences (temperature and humidity, spore formation).
Results against lice were sufficiently encouraging to justify attempts to develop a fungal lousicide. However, similarly encouraging results were not found in initial studies against the sheep blowfly. The results indicate that this is not a practical pathway for the application of fungal spores to control adult flies.
Resistance to chemicals
Parasite control chemicals are another tool used to help combat flystrike. A two year project was undertaken with the aim to enable producers to monitor and manage emerging resistance to Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) chemicals. IGRs are the most popular and commonly used class of fly (and lice) control products used by farmers.
The project was completed but the test to detect resistance to IGR chemicals was not practical as a commercially available test.
Pain relief
AWI has completed two detailed studies and CSIRO has completed a further study on pain relief options. AWI has not progressed with this line of research because a post-mulesing spray for the relief of pain has been released and is being sold through veterinarians. This pain relief product was developed by a private company Animal Ethics Pty Ltd and is licensed to Bayer. The pain relief product is being applied by a growing number of woolgrowers and contractors across Australia post mulesing.
AWI will continue to review options for pain relief research and how it can assist in the registration process of pain relief products with commercial partners.
FlyBoss decision support tool
AWI is a partner in a new initiative of the CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC) to develop a blowfly control decision support tool. An application for registration of the tradename FlyBoss has already been lodged.
In a first step, the already comprehensive body of knowledge on blowfly biology and control alternatives in Australia will be consolidated in a web-accessible repository.
The next step will then be to extract from this information a “shopping list” of alternative strategies, followed by the development of a decision support tool which will help the woolgrower assess, amongst others, the potential risk of any planned intervention, e.g. the application of a chemical.
AWI saw this initiative as a logical adjunct to the already available WormBoss and LiceBoss tools, under the umbrella of an integrated parasite management (IPM) approach
Mulesing accreditation
The National Mulesing Assurance Program (NMAP) is the initiative that has been developed to ensure that all mulesing operators are encouraged to train and be assessed to a national standard. The national standard provides assurance to processors and retailers in the wool trade that we manage our livestock with world’s best practice. NMAP is funded by AWI and is supported by the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce.
Industry has agreed that mulesing contractors must have been accredited by 31 December 2006 and owner operators who mules must be accredited by 31 December 2008.
Declaration form for woolgrowers to say they no longer undertake the practice of mulesing
Also aiding growers is the development of a new National Vendor Declaration - Wool that allows sellers to declare the Australian woolgrower supplying the wool for sale has either certified that he/she does not undertake the practice of mulesing sheep, or that the wool for sale is from non-mulesed sheep. The NVD is effective from 21 July 2008.
Contact
Dr Johann Schröder
Program Manager, Animal Health, Productivity and Welfare
Tel: +61 2 8295 3100
Contact via email