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Components of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program for the Control of the Sheep Blowfly Lucilia Cuprina Under South African Conditions

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Components of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program for the Control of the Sheep Blowfly Lucilia Cuprina Under South African Conditions Components of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for the control of the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina under South African conditions by Anna Jacoba Scholtz Dissertation submitted to the Faculty Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, University of the Free State, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTOR Promotor: Professor Schalk W.P. Cloete Co-promotors: Professor Japie B. van Wyk Professor Theuns C. van der Linde Bloemfontein, May 2010 DECLARATION I declare that the thesis hereby submitted for the Ph.D. degree at the University of the Free State is my own independent work and has not previously been submitted at another university/faculty. I furthermore cede copyright of the thesis in favour of the University of the Free State. Signed:............................. TABLE OF CONTENTS DESCRIPTION PAGE Preface vi Acknowledgements vii List of Publications and congress contributions from this thesis viii Chapter 1. General introduction 1 Chapter 2. Literature study 9 Part I – Management options Chapter 3. Report on a survey of the prevalence of blowfly strike and the control measures used in the Rûens area of the Western Cape Province of 89 South Africa. Information 90 Abstract 90 Introduction 90 Materials and methods 92 Animals, the environment and recordings 92 Statistical analyses 93 Results 94 General 94 Subjective wool traits 95 Overall flystrike, breech strike and body strike 97 Discussion 101 General 101 Subjective wool traits 102 Overall flystrike, breech strike and body strike 104 Conclusions 106 References 106 Chapter 4. The assessment of crystals derived from Aloe spp. for potential use as 114 an herbal anthelmintic thereby indirectly controlling blowfly strike. Information 115 Abstract 115 Introduction 115 Materials and methods 118 Animals, selection procedures and location 118 Statistical methods 119 Results and discussion 120 Conclusions 124 Acknowledgements 124 References 125 Part II – Breeding options Chapter 5. Influence of divergent selection for reproduction on the occurrence of 129 breech strike in mature Merino ewes. Information 130 Abstract 130 Introduction 130 Materials and methods 131 Animals, selection procedures and locations 131 Records 133 Statistical analyses 133 Results 134 Occurrence and distribution of breech and body strike 134 Frequency of strikes in the respective selection lines 134 Repeated strike across years 135 Severity of strikes 135 Discussion 136 Occurrence and distribution of breech and body strike 136 Frequency of strikes in the respective selection lines 137 Repeated strike across years 138 Severity of strikes 138 Conclusions 139 Acknowledgements 139 References 139 Chapter 6. Genetic (co)variances between wrinkle score and absence of breech strike in mulesed and unmulesed Merino sheep, using a threshold 143 model. Information 144 Abstract 144 Introduction 144 Materials and methods 146 Animals, the environment and recordings 146 Statistical analyses 147 Results 148 Descriptive statistics 148 Genetic parameters 149 Discussion 153 Genetic parameters 153 Conclusions 156 Acknowledgements 156 References 156 Chapter 7. Preliminary results on the breech and cover scores of Merino ewes 161 divergently selected for their ability to rear multiple offspring. Information 162 Abstract 162 Introduction 162 Materials and methods 163 Animals, location and recordings 163 Statistical analyses 164 Results 165 Mature ewes: Effects of selection line and reproduction status 165 Mature ewes: Quality of belly wool 165 Maiden ewes: Effect of selection line 166 Discussion 166 Reproduction in mature ewes 166 Line differences in crutch and belly wool characteristics 167 Impact of reproduction on crutch and belly wool characteristics 168 Conclusions 169 Acknowledgements 169 References 169 Chapter 8. Genetic (co)variances for breech strike indicator traits and yearling wool and body weight traits in Merino lines divergently selected for 173 reproduction. Information 174 Abstract 174 Introduction 175 Materials and methods 175 Animals and selection procedures 175 Location and recordings 176 Statistical analyses 177 Results 178 Descriptive statistics 178 The effect of main effects on indicator traits 178 Heritability and genetic correlations 180 Correlation between breech traits and production traits 181 Breeding values for breech traits in the selection lines 182 Frequency of breech strike in the respective selection lines 182 Discussion 183 Descriptive statistics 183 The effect of main effects on indicator traits 183 Heritability and genetic correlations 184 Correlation between breech traits and production traits 186 Breeding values for the selection lines 187 Frequency of strikes in the respective selection lines 187 Conclusions 188 Acknowledgements 188 References 188 Chapter 9. The effect of divergent selection for reproduction on dag score, breech 190 wrinkle score and crutching time in Merino hoggets. Information 194 Abstract 194 Introduction 194 Materials and methods 195 Animals, location and recordings 195 Statistical analyses 196 Results and Discussion 196 Conclusions 198 Acknowledgements 199 References 199 Chapter 10. General conclusions and future perspectives 203 Part I. Managerial components to IPM 204 Part II. Breeding components to IPM 205 Recommendations 208 References 209 Chapter 11. Descriptive terminology 212 Chapter 12. Summary 215 Information 215 Part I. Management options 216 Part II. Breeding options 216 Implications 217 Opsomming 218 Inligting 218 Deel I. Betuursopsies 218 Deel II. Telings opsies 219 Implikasies 219 PREFACE Chapters dealing with research are structured as papers, dealing with specific components of blowfly IPM. Unfortunately this has lead to the repetition of some information, especially within the Material and Methods sections. The structure of the chapters is based on personal preference but the format of the Animal Production Science Journal was used for references within the text and for the reference list. Research on blowfly in South Africa is limited to a few scientific papers over the past decade therefore reference is predominantly made to research that was done in Australia; New Zealand and to a lesser extend the United Kingdom and America. Since Lucilia cuprina is the dominant blowfly species that causes flystrike in South Africa, reference will predominantly made to research that was done on this species. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was carried out under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture of the Western Cape (Elsenburg Agricultural Research Centre) near Stellenbosch in South Africa. Permission to use these results for a postgraduate study is gratefully acknowledged. I also wish to thank the following persons and institutions for contributions to the research reported on in this thesis: . Prof. Schalk Cloete for acting as my promoter, for guidance; valuable inputs; patience and unwavering support during this study. What a privilege to be his student! . My co-promoters, Prof Japie van Wyk and Prof. Theuns van der Linde for support and constructive involvement in my studies; . Prof. Izak Groenewald for assisting in administrative matters; . University of the Free State for giving me an opportunity to acquire a higher qualification by accepting me as a student; . Dr. Ilse Trautmann for supporting further education and for being instrumental in granting me a bursary; . Miss. Lizette du Toit and Mrs. Annelie Kruger for extensive technical support; . Messrs Hendrik Vaaltyn; Davey Marang and Stentyi Zonwabile for their dedication and hard work in looking after the resource flocks; . Dr. Jasper Cloete for assisting with the subjective scoring of the breech cover; crutch cover- and dag scores of the Merinos; . Mrs. Wilna Brink, Librarian at the Department of Agriculture of the Western Cape, for her continuous involvement in sourcing scientific literature for this study; . The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Technology and Human Resources Industry Program (THRIP) for grants that partly funded this research; . My mother for support; encouragement and listening to my complaints; . My late father for his passion for science; . My friends and family for enthusiasm; support and encouragement while writing this thesis; . Mr. and Mrs. Knipe for all the love; support; meals and laughs. A special thanks to Mrs. Knipe for helping with the proofreading of some of the chapters; . My best friend Muriel for her enduring encouragement; support and help throughout the writing of this thesis. Thank you for keeping the boat afloat. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS AND CONGRESS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THIS THESIS PUBLICATIONS: Scholtz AJ, Cloete SWP, van Wyk JB, Misztal I, du Toit E, van der Linde TCdeK (2010a) Genetic (co)variances between wrinkle score and absence of breech strike in mulesed and unmulesed Merino sheep, using a threshold model. Animal Production Science 50, 203 – 209. Scholtz AJ, Cloete SWP, van Wyk JB, Kruger ACM, van der Linde TCdeK (2010b) The influence of divergent selection for reproduction on the occurrence of breech strike in mature Merino ewes. Animal Production Science 50, 210 - 218. CONGRESS CONTRIBUTIONS: Scholtz AJ, Cloete SWP, Van Wyk JB, Van der Linde TC de K (2009) The assessment of crystals derived from Aloe spp. for potential use as an anthelmintic thereby indirectly controlling blowfly strike. Programme and Summaries of the South African Society for Animal Science 43rd Congress, 28 – 30 July 2009. (Alpine Heath Conference Village: Kwazulu- Natal).
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