DEPARTMENT for ENVIRONMENT, FOOD and RURAL AFFAIRS CSG 15 Research and Development Final Project Report (Not to be used for LINK projects) Two hard copies of this form should be returned to: Research Policy and International Division, Final Reports Unit DEFRA, Area 301 Cromwell House, Dean Stanley Street, London, SW1P 3JH. An electronic version should be e-mailed to
[email protected] Project title Control of internal parasites in organic livestock without the use of pharmaceutical anthelmintics DEFRA project code OFO185 Contractor organisation ADAS Consulting Ltd and location ADAS Redesdale, Rochester, Otterburn Newcastle upon Tyne NE19 1SB Total DEFRA project costs £ 588,222 Project start date 01/01/2000 Project end date 31/03/04 Executive summary (maximum 2 sides A4) Organic systems seek to reduce reliance on external inputs, and develop sustainable methods of production which balance output with high standards of animal welfare. The standards for organic production emphasise preventive control strategies based on grazing management, appropriate breeding and good nutrition. The ultimate goal is to eliminate dependence on anti-parasitic drugs, however this is rarely achieved in practice. The overall objective of this research was to develop organic farming systems, which do not rely on pharmaceutical control of roundworm parasites. Focussing on management and nutrition, the approach was to combine on-farm epidemiological studies, with replicated experiments, in order to develop and demonstrate better systems of control applicable to UK organic farms. The project was a collaborative study involving ADAS, Institute of Rural Science (IRS), Moredun Research Institute (MRI) and Scottish Agriculture Colleges (SAC). Epidemiology: Five commercial organic farms, reflecting a range of production systems (specialist hill sheep, upland beef and sheep, lowland specialist sheep, specialist dairying, and lowland mixed arable / livestock) were selected for detailed epidemiological study.