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Title
A mathematical model to predict the risk arising from the pasture infectivity of four nematode species in Australia
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008:
Author(s)
Publication Date
2018
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008
Abstract
Gastrointestinal parasites cost the Australian sheep industry AU$436 million annually. Early warning of impending worm risk may reduce this cost by providing producers with sufficient time to implement control strategies. A biophysical model was developed to simulate the on-pasture lifecycle stages of the four predominant nematode species in Australia (Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Trichostrongylus vitrinus). The influence of climatic variables (temperature and water availability) on the survival, development and migration of each lifecycle stage was incorporated and parameterised to available point estimates (H. contortus: R² = 0.88, n = 1409; T. circumcincta: R² = 0.56, n = 243; T. colubriformis: R² = 0.61, n = 355; T. vitrinus: R² = 0.66, n = 147). Constant fecundities (eggs/worm.day) provided the daily quantity of eggs deposited per sheep (H. contortus = 3275; T. circumcincta = 140; T. colubriformis = 300; T. vitrinus = 300). Farm management practices were considered via the specification of stocking rates (sheep/ha), and the administration of anthelmintic treatments (reducing egg deposition by a defined efficacy and duration for each nematode species). Pasture infectivity per nematode species was calculated as the quotient of larvae on herbage and herbage availability (t/ha). Risk was calculated as the product of pasture infectivity and the potential productive impact of each nematode species (H. contortus = 3.9%; T. circumcincta = 9.22%; T. colubriformis = 9.31%; T. vitrinus = 9.31%), and then summed across nematode species. This predictive model has been incorporated into the Sheep CRC's 'ASKBILL' application (www.askbill.com.au, verified 13 April 2018), which uses 90-day weather forecast data (5-km grid resolution) provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Publication Type
Journal Article
Source of Publication
Animal Production Science, 58(8), p. 1504-1514
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Place of Publication
Australia
ISSN
1836-5787
1836-0939
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020
Peer Reviewed
Yes
HERDC Category Description
Peer Reviewed
Yes
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