Sustainable endoparasite control for small ruminants in Southeast Asia

• Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, Philippines
• Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Malaysia
• Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Indonesia
• CSIRO Livestock Industries, Australia
• Veterinary Research Institute, Malaysia

This project was a significant component of the International Livestock Research Institute's (ILRI) extension to Southeast Asia. The broad aim was to bring together relevant experiences and expertise from ILRI and the Australian and Southeast Asian collaborating institutions to study endoparasites (internal parasites) in sheep and goats. The specific objectives were to develop, test and implement options for sustainable endoparasite control (SPC) strategies, to identify endoparasite-resistant goat breeds/genotypes in Southeast Asia and assess the contribution of these resistant genotypes to SPC. The team also assessed the level and extent of anthelmintic resistance and evaluated the Larval Development Assay (LDA) under tropical conditions in Southeast Asia.

Development and testing of sustainable integrated strategies for the control of endoparasites

A study was conducted at Babajurang, West Java on the long-term benefits of nutritional supplementation during the wet season with non-medicated urea-molasses blocks (UMB). The UMB was effective in maintaining weight gain during the targeted period of nutritional challenge during the rainy season. Anthelmintic (Valbazen) was administered separately at two-weekly intervals to half the supplemented animals, and to half the non-supplemented controls, resulting in a significant and sustained benefit of about 2.2 kg per head. A key positive feature is that this experiment was carried out on farms, with farmers, which gave villagers regular exposure to improved knowledge and skills and an elevation in social esteem.

The development of Indonesian research capacity was highly significant, involving collaboration between several institutes. The outcomes of this component of the project were incorporated in the planning for International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) activities at Babajurang and other IFAD sites. A survey of the knowledge, attitudes and expectations of 25 farmers provided a valuable starting point for community awareness and involvement in projects. A major impediment to the adoption of this technology is its initial investment cost in a depressed economic environment, which is a major factor in the design of the delivery of the ACIAR project benefits through the IFAD project. Four studies were also conducted in the Philippines to examine the effects of strategic supplementation of goats in the dry and rainy seasons with urea-molasses blocks containing an anthelmintic (MUMB).

Assessment of the extent of anthelmintic resistance in sheep and goat populations in SE Asia using the Larval Development Assay (LDA)

The LDA has been developed and applied in Philippines and Indonesia with early support from CSIRO and an extensive technical training program. Widespread drench resistance has been identified in the Philippines, highlighting the urgency and importance of reducing the impact of resistance and developing alternative control strategies. This confirms that SPC research initiatives in the current project are immediately relevant in the national interest. This research activity provides a series of examples of good scientific planning, rigour, attention to task, careful management and sharing of resources and responsible administration. Following the inclusion of data for Mindanao and Indonesia the paper will benchmark similar surveys planned in other countries of SE Asia by IFAD. Very little laval development assay resistance testing has been completed in Indonesia, and more needs to be done.