Main Menu
Strategies for sustainable control of gastrointestinal parasites of ruminants using urea-molasses blocks
Project ID
AS2/1991/032
Inactive project countries
Malaysia
Commissioned Organisation
CSIRO Division of Animal Production, Australia
Project Leader
Dr John Steel
Phone:
62 2 660 4411
Fax:
62 2 692 8561
Project Budget
$1,133,523.00
Start Date
01/01/1993
Finish Date
31/12/1996
Extension Start Date
01/01/1997
Extension Finish Date
31/12/1997
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Denis Hoffmann
Overview Objectives
This project follows a review of PN 8523, which recommended further research to integrate nutritional and chemotherapeutic uses of urea-molasses blocks to produce optimal strategies for parasite control.
Collaborating scientists, will target ruminant production systems where urea-molasses block supplements have already provided a nutritional benefit, but where the effect of anthelmintic supplements on the animals' ability to resist parasitic infection has yet to be assessed.
The latter information will be correlated with field evaluations on the parasitological efficacy of medicated blocks, in order to develop sound strategies for their prophylactic use.
Project Background and Objectives
The Pacific Islands and the Indian sub-continent place an ever-increasing demand on ruminant livestock production. Nutrition and health are principal constraints.
Utilisation of poor quality agricultural residues used for feed can be improved by supplementing the animals with urea-molasses blocks containing minerals and small amounts of protein. ACIAR project 8523 has also shown that urea-molasses blocks can deliver effective anthelmintic medication, reducing deaths and production losses due to internal parasites.
Scientists have developed a fenbendazole formulation that was effective in controlling parasites in sheep and goats in Fiji. This technology will be useful to Malaysia, where sheep farmers are trying to reduce reliance on herbicides to control undergrowth, and increase meat production by grazing sheep on forages under tree crops.
In addition, research on dairy cattle and buffalo in India will continue in order to develop the medicated block concept to the point of large scale manufacture and distribution.
Location
There are no project locations defined for this project.
