A regional model of sheep lice to study the effect on lice prevalence and costs for Australian farms using a range of treatment efficacy in combination with other lice control strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 1931
Author(s):  
Peri G. Lucas ◽  
Brian J. Horton ◽  
David Parsons ◽  
Anna L. Carew

Using a previously developed predictive model, three different management practices were examined in combination with post-shearing chemical treatments for lice, to determine which combinations could provide cost-effective reductions in lice prevalence over a 20-year period. The model included nine sheep production regions across Australia, all of which have different regional flock prevalence of lice and mean numbers of sheep/property. The lice prevalence model simulated the effects of four management options on Australian lice prevalence and on financial return (expressed as net present value) over a 20-year period. Management options modelled in this study were: treatment for eradication, inspection for lice detection, intervention level, and biosecurity of purchased sheep. The costs and benefits of these management options were calculated on the basis of published data or standard industry costs. Combinations of eradication achieved through treatment and biosecurity of purchased sheep provided the greatest modelled reductions in Australian flock lice prevalence at the lowest cost. With current management practices, lice prevalence was estimated as 16.3% of Australian properties infested and lice costs were estimated at 902 cents per sheep over 20 years. The model estimated that with appropriate management, lice prevalence could be reduced to less than 1.5% of properties infested and costs could be halved to 435 cents per sheep over 20 years. With further development, the modelling described herein offers potential guidance for Australian sheep producers in selecting the most effective and cost-efficient combination of management strategies to reduce lice infestation.

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 726
Author(s):  
Peri G. Lucas ◽  
Brian J. Horton ◽  
David Parsons ◽  
Anna L. Carew

A model of lice management systems was used to investigate the potential benefits of improved fencing against straying sheep, used in conjunction with other management options for lice control. The impact of combined strategies was simulated over a 20-year period. Management options included in the model were: lice eradication rate, lice detection, intervention level, improved fencing to reduce straying sheep, and biosecurity of purchased sheep. The modelling found it was cost-effective to improve fences for an initial average cost of $20 000/property if the number of properties from which strays could enter was reduced by ≥40%, but for average Australian properties this represents less than 20% of the boundary replaced. In order for fencing to be a cost-effective part of lice management, the fencing must target sections of boundary fence that will provide the greatest protection from contact with neighbouring flocks. The model showed that improved biosecurity against straying sheep combined well with improved eradication rates. However, biosecurity for purchased sheep may be the most cost-effective option.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
BP Tripathi ◽  
JE Jones

The middle mountain region of Nepal, which occupies some 30% of the total land, is the homeland of 45% of the total population, with agriculture being the main source of their livelihoods. Hill farming is primarily based on organic manure with livestock, forest and crops being major components of an integrated system. The aim of this study is to develop and promote improved methods for research and development organizations to identify cost-effective and appropriate soil fertility management strategies through; providing an improved understanding of the biophysical and socio-economic factors affecting the adaptability of sustainable soil management strategies in hillside systems, developing methodologies for evaluating soil fertility technologies and management systems for differently resource farmers in different farming systems, and strengthening the capability of local professionals in collaborating institutions to provide useful information to farmers. The work is placing emphasis on promoting cost-effective methods of soil fertility management, building on farmers' own knowledge and systems. Participatory techniques have been used for gaining a better understanding of fertility indicators, trends and existing soil management practices during 2000/01 in the western hills of Nepal. Farmers are now concerned that increasing amounts of chemical fertilizer at increasingly higher cost have to be applied, soils are becoming “harder” and production is declining. As a result farmers in four agro-ecological zones opted to either test methods for “improving” the quality of farm yard manure (FYM), or “improve” crop residue management. Early results show that through covering the FYM with black plastic sheets, yield increases of over 30% can be achieved. The use of participatory farm management techniques is providing a basis for local NGOs and farmers to evaluate their own experiments and develop soil fertility technologies and systems for their environments.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajn.v1i0.7536 Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) Vol. 1: 2010 pp.1-9


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. J. Verteramo Chiu ◽  
L. W. Tauer ◽  
Y.T. Gröhn ◽  
R. L. Smith

ABSTRACTThe benefits and efficacy of control programs for herds infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) have been investigated under various contexts. However, most previous research investigated paratuberculosis control programs in isolation, without modeling the potential association with other dairy diseases. This paper evaluated the benefits of MAP control programs when the herd is also affected by mastitis, a common disease causing the largest losses in dairy production. The effect of typically suggested MAP controls were estimated under the assumption that MAP infection increased the rate of clinical mastitis. We evaluated one hundred twenty three control strategies comprising various combinations of testing, culling, and hygiene, and found that the association of paratuberculosis with mastitis alters the ranking of specific MAP control programs, but only slightly alters the cost-effectiveness of particular MAP control components, as measured by the distribution of net present value of a representative U.S. dairy operation. In particular, although testing and culling for MAP resulted in a reduction in MAP incidence, that control led to lower net present value (NPV) per cow. When testing was used, ELISA was more cost-effective than alternative testing regimes, especially if mastitis was explicitly modeled as more likely in MAP-infected animals, but ELISA testing was only significantly associated with higher NPV if mastitis was not included in the model at all. Additional hygiene was associated with a lower NPV per cow, although it lowered MAP prevalence. Overall, the addition of an increased risk of mastitis in MAP-infected animals did not change model recommendations as much as failing to consider mastitis at all.


Author(s):  
Nabil El-Wakeil ◽  
Nawal Gaafar ◽  
Abdellah Abdel-Moniem ◽  
Christa Volkmar

Chamomile Matricaria recutita (L) is an ancient healing plant; it is used for a sore stomach, a mild laxative, anti-inflammatory and a gentle sleep aid. Chamomile plants are infected by many insect pests. The flower heads are infested by chamomile smooth beetle Olibrus aeneus (Fabricius 1792). The dangerous insect is infestation with chamomile stem-weevil Microplontus rugulosus (Autumn 1795). Their infestations lead to a high reduction in chamomile yield. This work aimed to determine the adequate management strategies of Microplontus rugulosus and Olibrus aeneus, especially using entomopathogenic nematodes. Management of chamomile insects was conducted on plants moved from field to greenhouse using entomopathogenic nematodes; while the control plants were sprayed only with water. The efficiency of three types of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) was evaluated; each strain replicated 3 times; each was 50 chamomile plants (totally is 150 for each strain). Three treatment dates were carried out in May, June and July; the first one was mainly for controlling stem weevil, while the other two dates were for smooth beetle. Steinernema carpocapsae had more efficiency than S. feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. The lived larvae were higher in the untreated than treated plants. EPNS could be one of the most effective management strategies to control such insects to keep the environment clean and should be one of the suitable control strategies for integrated insect management practices which would be developed with the ecological requirements of insects in different chamomile fields.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogesh Khare ◽  
Ghinwa Naja ◽  
G. Stainback ◽  
Christopher Martinez ◽  
Rajendra Paudel ◽  
...  

Achieving total phosphorus (TP) total maximum daily loads (TMDL) for Lake Okeechobee (Florida, FL, USA), a large freshwater lake, is a key component of the greater Everglades ecosystem restoration and sustainability of south Florida. This study was aimed at identification of a cost-effective restoration alternative using four TP control strategies—Best Management Practices (BMPs), Dispersed Water Management (DWM), Wetland Restoration, and Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs)—to achieve a flow-weighted mean TP concentration of 40 µg/L at lake inflow points, through a phased scenario analysis approach. The Watershed Assessment Model was used to simulate flow and phosphorus dynamics. The 10-year (1998–2007) ‘Base’ scenario calibration indicated ‘acceptable’ to ‘good’ performance with simulated annual average flows and TP load of 2.64 × 109 m3 and 428.6 metric tons, respectively. Scenario results showed that TP load reduction without STAs would be around 11–40% with respect to Base compared to over 75% reduction requirement to achieve TMDL, indicating STAs as a necessary component to achieve restoration. The most cost-effective alternative to achieve TP target consisted of implementation of nutrient management BMPs, continuation of existing DWM projects, and the construction of ~200 km2 of STAs for a total project cost of US $4.26 billion.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 882
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Johnson ◽  
Claudia Patricia Ruiz-Diaz ◽  
Nicholas C. Manoukis ◽  
Jose Carlos Verle Rodrigues

Coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), CBB) has invaded nearly every coffee-producing country in the world, and it is commonly recognized as the most damaging insect pest of coffee. While research has been conducted on this pest in individual coffee-growing regions, new insights may be gained by comparing and contrasting patterns of invasion and response across its global distribution. In this review, we explore the existing literature and focus on common themes in the invasion biology of CBB by examining (1) how it was introduced into each particular region and the response to its invasion, (2) flight activity and infestation patterns, (3) economic impacts, and (4) management strategies. We highlight research conducted over the last ten years in Hawaii as a case study for the development and implementation of an effective integrated pest management (IPM) program for CBB, and also discuss biosecurity issues contributing to incursion and establishment. Potential areas for future research in each of the five major components of CBB IPM (monitoring and sampling, cultural, biological, chemical, and physical controls) are also presented. Finally, we emphasize that outreach efforts are crucial to the successful implementation of CBB IPM programs. Future research programs should strive to include coffee growers as much as possible to ensure that management options are feasible and cost-effective.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Horton ◽  
Andrew Bailey ◽  
Anna L. Carew

A model of sheep lice management incorporating different assumed levels of lice prevalence in different regions of Australia was used to determine the conditions under which it would be cost-effective to treat sheep for lice at shearing when no lice had been detected. The probability that a flock might be infested was calculated from the probability that the previous treatment had failed to eradicate lice, purchased sheep may have introduced lice, or lice may have entered on straying sheep. The model showed that a flock should be treated if the probability of infestation is greater than 10%. It was projected that acceptance of a risk level greater than 10% would reduce treatment of flocks where no lice were present, thus reducing treatment costs. This higher risk level, however, would increase the proportion of louse-infested flocks that remained untreated, resulting in increased direct lice costs and an increase in the regional prevalence of lice, but little overall change in costs to the sheep industry. The model indicated that treatment of sheep at lower levels of risk (less than 10%) would incur unnecessary costs due to treatment of flocks where no lice were present and would not reduce the regional prevalence of lice more effectively than a 10% intervention level. The model suggested that more accurate methods of detecting lice at shearing would allow higher levels of risk, reduce the use of treatment and hence reduce overall costs associated with managing lice, without increasing the prevalence of lice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 560-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn Fraver ◽  
Kevin J. Dodds ◽  
Laura S. Kenefic ◽  
Rick Morrill ◽  
Robert S. Seymour ◽  
...  

Understanding forest structural changes resulting from postdisturbance management practices such as salvage logging is critical for predicting forest recovery and developing appropriate management strategies. In 2013, a tornado and subsequent salvage operations in northern Maine, USA, created three conditions (i.e., treatments) with contrasting forest structure: blowdown, blowdown + salvage, and control (undisturbed). We sampled forest structure in five stands representing each of these three treatments. Our results document obvious and predictable changes to forest structure caused by the blowdown and salvage operations; however, they also include unexpected findings: downed coarse woody debris volume remained quite high in the salvaged areas, although its vertical distribution was markedly reduced; salvage operations did not reduce fine woody debris volume; and the salvage operation itself reduced the abundance of upturned root masses. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature highlighting the fact that outcomes of salvage operations vary considerably from situation to situation. Nevertheless, they suggest that salvage logging has important implications for residual stand structure and regeneration potential and that these implications should be considered carefully when weighing postdisturbance management options.


This chapter reports the effective wastes management strategies. To achieve this aim, the waste management practices of 14 airlines from four regions were investigated. The data used in this chapter was a secondary published data in the annual sustainability reports. The data was retrieved from GRI (Global Reporting Initiatives) website. The special tailored data analysis techniques were used for this purpose. The chapter reported four on-board and ground strategy patterns and three hybrid patterns. Hybrid strategy patterns were better ranked than the most of on-board and ground strategy patterns. This chapter helps the decision makers and the academics alike, since the impact of each action under each action category of each pattern on wastes reduction was reported.


Author(s):  
Ammar Saati ◽  
Noora AlHajri ◽  
Lina Ya’qoub ◽  
Waqar Ahmed ◽  
Mirvat Alasnag

Abstract Purpose of review In recent years, there have been advances in the prevention, management, and control of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). There is a trend towards aggressive risk factor modification, noninvasive screening, and endovascular revascularization with surgical approaches reserved only for select cases. This article reviews the different management strategies ranging from pharmacotherapy, revascularization, and rehabilitation with an emphasis on the response of women to these therapies. Recent findings Overall, the representation of women in the majority of the published data in this arena remains poor. Studies examining medical therapy and endovascular and surgical revascularization were not designed to address sex disparities. Nevertheless, we dissect these therapies and their relevant randomized trials. Summary The paucity of data investigating the response of women to the different management options makes it difficult to make any evidence-based recommendations. This not only applies to the type of intervention, but also the appropriate timing and risks entailed.


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