Blueprint for an automated specific decision support system for countering anthelmintic resistance in Haemonchus spp. at farm level

The sustainable management of crop residue is termed a win-win strategy for sustainable agriculture production and the abatement of carbon emissions from the agriculture sector. Therefore, it is essential to propose future policies on the promotion of sustainable crop residue management to contribute to a more bio-based circular economy. Nevertheless, there is a lack of understanding about the decision-making processes underlying the use of sustainable crop residue management at the farm level by farmers. The objective of this study is to understand the farmers’ decisions in terms of adopting sustainable and alternative crop residue management practices. For this purpose, a survey was conducted from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab, Pakistan, and a multivariate probit approach was employed to analyze factors affecting farmers’ decisions on the use of different practices. The results revealed that farmers were becoming more interested in using sustainable crop residue management practices despite a number of challenges. The majority of farmers are currently using crop residue for their animal feed and are willing to use it as a bio-fertilizer, also for energy purposes in bio-gas plants. These results hold true for a wide range of countries with notable spatial variations in livestock density, particularly for those with ambitions to use crop waste more sustainably and effectively. The findings of the study recommend that improving crop residue on-farm use requires a combination of appropriate crop residue management practices, such as a clean energy source, accurate and easily accessible information about the efficacy of crop residue management practices, and proper regulations and enforcement. To improve farmer participation, adequate extension services, training, and credit facilities are necessary to enhance the farmers’ capacity in reusing crop residues.

Knowledge sharing and adoption behaviour: An imperative to promote sustainable soil use and management

Viruses are different diseases that cause serious problems for animals in different parts of the world. Helminthiasis is usually treated with anthelmintics. Unfortunately, the excessive use of anthelmintics has led to massive anthelmintic resistance. Anthelmintic resistance refers to the loss of genetic sensitivity to anthelmintics in a parasite that was previously susceptible to anthelmintics. The result of anthelmintic resistance occurs in different helminths of almost all animal species and in different anthelmintic groups in different countries. Chronic treatment, inadequate dosage, genetics of the parasite, purpose and timing of treatment are the main causes of anthelmintic resistance. Regulation of cellular efflux mechanisms, increased drug metabolism, changes in drug receptor sites (reduced drug binding or reduced functional effects of drug binding) and decreased abundance of drug receptors by reducing diseased bacteria are important factors in anthelmintic resistance. In vivo methods such as fecal egg count reduction index and in vitro methods such as egg hatchability test, larval strength test, larval development test and PCR can be used to test anthelmintic resistance. Correct use of antibiotics, combined use of antibiotics and use of alternative methods are important strategies to slow down the development of anthelmintic resistance. Since anthelmintic resistance is a major global problem, it is necessary to effectively reduce this problem by using existing antibiotics and reducing the dependence on anthelmintics.

Village development is an effort to improve the quality of life and life for the greatest welfare of village communities. Meanwhile, the aim of village development is stated in article 78 paragraph 1, namely improving the welfare of village communities and the quality of human life as well as overcoming poverty through fulfilling basic needs, developing village facilities and infrastructure, developing local economic potential, and using natural resources and the environment in a sustainable manner. As is the case with village development, Watu Wona Village is one with a majority of farmers, which is an example of a road access development plan that really needs assistance from the government in its construction to support the production and sale of agricultural products. Infrastructure is still lacking, damaged infrastructure roads make access to the village difficult. As a result, the flow of goods and services to villages to transport agricultural products is also lacking and hampered. Based on the existing problems, village development planning is needed using a decision support system (SPK) so that village selection in Watu Wona village is faster and more accurate. By using the SAW method comparison

Village development is an effort to improve the quality of life and life for the greatest welfare of village communities. Meanwhile, the aim of village development is stated in article 78 paragraph 1, namely improving the welfare of village communities and the quality of human life as well as overcoming poverty through fulfilling basic needs, developing village facilities and infrastructure, developing local economic potential, and using natural resources and the environment in a sustainable manner. As is the case with village development, Watu Wona Village is one with a majority of farmers, which is an example of a road access development plan that really needs assistance from the government in its construction to support the production and sale of agricultural products. Infrastructure is still lacking, damaged infrastructure roads make access to the village difficult. As a result, the flow of goods and services to villages to transport agricultural products is also lacking and hampered. Based on the existing problems, village development planning is needed using a decision support system (SPK) so that village selection in Watu Wona village is faster and more accurate. By using the SAW method comparison

Anthelmintic resistance in sheep farms: Update of the situation in the American continent

Soil-specific agro-ecological strategies for sustainable land use – A case study by using MicroLEIS DSS in Sevilla Province (Spain)

Factors affecting prevalence and abundance of A.perfoliata infections in horses from south-eastern Poland

BACKGROUNDThis paper documents farmer perceptions and management practices for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiderda J.E. Smith), providing a baseline for the development of sustainable pest management strategies.RESULTS91% of farmers correctly identified fall armyworm, and reported it as the most important maize pest during 2016/2017 cropping season, affecting nearly half of cultivated area. Estimated maize yield loss during the season, attributed to fall armyworm was 28%. A majority of farmers (60%) used pesticides for fall armyworm control, along with other cultural/physical practices – hand picking and crushing egg masses/caterpillars (36%), and application of ash/sand in the funnel (19%). Farmers used various pesticide active ingredients, and protective measures were inadequate; >50% of farmers did not use any protective measures while spraying. Significantly more male than female farmers used pesticides (P = 0.05), and the reverse was true for cultural practices. Significant maize yield differences (P = 0.001) were observed by gender, attributed to differences in utilization of production inputs/practices. At least 77% of farmers received and shared agricultural advice, which can be optimized to spread information on fall armyworm management options.CONCLUSIONIncreased use of pesticides to manage fall armyworm poses health and environmental risks, besides the high cost for farmers and governments. Research into cultural and indigenous practices used by farmers will offer opportunities for alternative and sustainable management practices. Research efforts should pay attention to gender differences in access to resources and inputs. Tackling fall armyworm at the farm level, and averting yield losses will require integrated messaging addressing other production risks. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Twenty-eight farms in 7 shires in south western Victoria were selected and tested for presence of benzimidazole-resistant nematodes between November 1979 and June 1981. Mean faecal egg counts of sheep were less than 100 strongyloid eggs/g on 11 farms. Faecal egg count reduction tests were conducted on the remaining 17 farms and thiabendazole was less than 90% efficient in reducing egg counts in sheep from 5 (29%) of these farms. Thiabendazole-resistant Teladorsagia circumcincta were identified at necropsy of experimentally infected treated sheep. In further studies a survey of 104 farms was conducted in the Mount Rouse and Dundas shires of western Victoria in 1981 and 1982 respectively to determine the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in these shires. Mean faecal egg counts among weaner sheep in the winter-spring of both years were less than 100 eggs/g which indicated low levels of parasitic nematode populations. A faecal egg count reduction test was conducted on 10 farms and thiabendazole was less than 90% efficient on 3; levamisole was greater than 90% efficient in all 10 tests. Most of the surveyed farms carried Merino or Merino crossbred sheep at 10 to 15 dry sheep equivalents per ha and weaners were treated with anthelmintics 3 to 6 times per year. Management procedures based mainly on anthelmintic therapy were effective in controlling nematode populations in weaner sheep, although many producers alternated between different groups of anthelmintics within the same year contrary to current recommendations for long-term preservation of anthelmintic efficacy. It was concluded that anthelmintic resistance was not of practical importance to the majority of sheep producers in the region.

There is growing concern that given the high frequency with which anthelmintics are being administered to many horses, anthelmintic resistance amongst equine helminth populations will be an increasing problem, rendering many of the currently available products unusable with little prospect of new products becoming available, at least in the near future. Worldwide, much reliance has been placed on the macrocyclic lactone (ML) group of anthelmintics, but resistance has been reported to these products as well as to the two other major anthelmintic classes used in this species, the benzimidazoles (BZ) and the tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. pyrantel). In New Zealand, resistance has been reported to the ML and BZ groups, but not yet to pyrantel. As an alternative to interval-based anthelmintic regimens, the highly overdispersed nature of parasite populations in horses can be utilised to decide whether treatment is required, based on whether or not animals exceed a predetermined level of shedding of parasite eggs. If well managed, such a targeted and selective approach can be utilised to eliminate the majority of egg output whilst still providing a refuge for susceptible parasites to persist. Such a system would require that an adequate standard of monitoring be in place and cognisance needs to be taken of parasites or their lifecycle stages that cannot be diagnosed by routine methods. At the same time, using anthelmintics with high levels of efficacy, avoiding practices such as under-dosing, as well as utilising non-chemical means of parasite control when possible, e.g. regular removal of faeces from pasture, should all be considered. Combinations of anthelmintics, specifically of anthelmintics that target the same or a similar spectrum of parasite species, should play an important role in parasite control in horses. As well as providing arguably the highest levels of efficacy, combinations may also slow the rate at which anthelmintic resistance develops.

Extensive farming systems form an integral part of sheep production systems across Europe. However, with innate production handicaps, declining sheep numbers and narrow economic margins, production is becoming increasingly challenging threatening the future sustainability of the industry. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a significant cause of production losses to the global sheep industry, with well-established resistance to the major anthelmintic groups. Traditionally, extensive farming systems are not thought to have a significant parasite challenge compared with intensive farms, but there is a need to identify the scale and importance of GINs on extensive farms to inform the need for sustainable control strategies. In this study, a questionnaire of extensive farmers (n=34) was conducted and parasitological data were collected from nine study farms to investigate the perceived versus actual GIN and anthelmintic resistance challenge faced by extensive farms. The results showed a production-limiting challenge on most farms, with a higher GIN challenge observed on improved pastures. Furthermore, over half of the extensive farmers perceived anthelmintic resistance to be a greater problem for intensive farmers, with only 20% of respondents reporting known anthelmintic resistance. However, all study farms had evidence of resistance to at least one group of anthelmintics. Consequently, this study has demonstrated that despite the traditional perception of parasitism on extensive farms, there is a need to increasingly consider its impact and take a proactive approach to sustainable control, with solutions tailored to their unique management.

The main focus of this chapter is that using soil type information in decision making is at the heart for sustainable use and management of agricultural land. The MicroLEIS decision support system (DSS) is based on the multifunctional evaluation of biophysical soil quality, using basically input data collected in standard soil inventories, and with particular reference to the peculiarities of the Mediterranean region. Its design philosophy is a toolkit approach, integrating many software instruments: databases, statistic models, expert systems, neural networks, Web and GIS applications, and other information technologies. As a case study applying MicroLEIS DSS to Cordoba Province (Spain), soil specific strategies to maximize land productivity and to prevent land degradation are predicted within two major topics: i) strategies related to land use planning at a regional scale, and ii) strategies related to soil management planning at a farm level. This DSS has proved to be an appropriate methodology for converting knowledge on land use and management systems, as estimated by research scientists, into information that is readily comprehensible to policy makers and farmers.

To achieve national and global air quality and climate change objectives, the agricultural sector increasingly requires dependable decision support tools for gaseous emissions at the farm level. We evaluated thirteen greenhouse gas (GHG)-based decision support systems (DSS), considering criteria such as not only the accessibility, user-friendliness, stakeholder involvement, sustainability methodology, and modeling aspects, but also the input parameters and outputs provided, all crucial for decision making. While most DSSs provide information for facilitating their use, only four are suitable for inexperienced users, and stakeholder participation in DSS development is infrequent. The dominant methodology for farm-level GHG estimation is IPCC 2006, with quantitative models primarily used for indicators’ assessment. Scenario and contribution analyses are the prevailing decision support approaches. Soil, crop, and fertilizer types are the most implemented non-livestock-related inputs, while climate- and feed-related costs are the least required. All DSSs assess farm-level mitigation measures, but less than half offer sustainability consultation. These tools promote environmental sustainability by evaluating mitigation strategies, disseminating farm sustainability information, and guiding sustainable farm management. Yet, challenges such as disparate estimation methods, result variations, comparison difficulties, usability concerns, steep learning curves, the lack of automation, the necessity for multiple tools, the limited integration of the results, and changing regulations hinder their wider adoption.

The issue of assessment of efficiency of environmental and sustainability management in agriculture is among the most topical in the last few decades. In Bulgaria there are no comprehensive studies on efficiency of environmental and sustainability management in agriculture in general and in farms of different types. This article applies a holistic framework for assessing efficiency of environmental and sustainability management in Bulgarian agriculture. Initially the multi principle, multi criteria and multi indicator framework for assessing environmental and sustainability management in agriculture is outlined. After that environmental sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture at national and farms levels is evaluated. Finally, factors for improving environmental and sustainability management in agricultural farms in the country are identified. Our assessment at national and farm level have found out that there are significant discrepancies in efficiency levels based on aggregate national data and assessment (perception) of farm managers. Therefore, in management practices all kind of data have to be used in order to be able to take efficient decision at different managerial levels. Having in mind the importance of holistic assessments of efficiency of environmental and sustainability management in agriculture, and the enormous benefits for the farm management and agrarian policies, such studies are to be expended and their precision and representation increased.