Southwestern Region Of France Research Articles

A participatory approach to involve winegrowers in pesticide use reduction in viticulture in the south-western region of France

Viticulture involves high pesticide use. While methods to reduce this use have been proposed by researchers, they have not yet been widely implemented by winegrowers. Involving winegrowers in the participatory design of new management strategies could encourage the adoption of these methods to reduce pesticide use. In this study, we designed and tested a participatory approach to reducing pesticide use that would be acceptable to winegrowers from a South-Western cooperative (i.e., not ‘pioneering’ winegrowers). The approach was composed of three main steps: A) co-design of the management strategies, B) implementation of the management strategies, and C) co-evaluation of the performances of the implemented management strategies. Winegrowers, researchers, advisors and engineers were involved in the study. The application of this participatory approach enabled the co-design and testing of two management strategies: IPM for Integrated Pest Management [50% reduction of pesticide treatment frequency index (TFI) as compared to the French High Environmental Value reference (HEV)], and ORG2kgCo for organic farming system with a maximum of 2 kg of copper/ha/year. These two management strategies were implemented by 11 winegrowers in three vineyards in South- Western France. In both management strategies, two main technical levers were selected to reduce pesticide use: a Decision Support System to optimise the use and substitution of pesticides by biocontrol products. The implementation of the IPM management strategy resulted in a significant reduction of TFI (from -14% to -57%, with an average of -25%, for all pesticides combined) compared to HEV, and the winegrowers who tested ORG2kgCo managed to not exceed the limit of 2 kg of copper per year. This original participatory approach, combining co-design workshops, on-farm experimentation and co-evaluation workshops, highlighted the benefits of involving winegrowers in the reduction of pesticide use.

Looking for the local ‘grant-grabbers’: Cattle farmers' criticisms and emerging environmental subjectivities in southwestern France

Meeting the challenge of “turning farmers into conservationists” is fundamental to tackling the climate/biodiversity crisis in the European Union. This is especially true in marginal areas, where environmental stewardship is (one of) the main justification(s) for the large amount of subsidies directed to largely unprofitable forms of agriculture, notably through agri-environmental and climatic measures (AECM) targeting cattle farmers. This article intends to analyse the confusing and sometimes reciprocal accusations of misuse of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which are made between cattle farmers. This study combines observations and interviews with suckler cattle farmers in a small region in southwestern France which is dominated by mixed crop-livestock farming and targeted by an AECM. It provides insights into local discourses that constitute environmental incentives as a moral issue. The results show that accusations are strongly context-dependent and extend beyond farming culture, thus reflecting the manifold identities of the cattle farmers. The AECM scheme, despite its low specifications, plays a role in the identity tensions that characterize contemporary cattle farming. The exploration of emerging environmental subjectivities allows us to take both the material and subjective dimensions of farmers’ identities into account.

Search for a Relevant Scale to Optimize the Quality Monitoring of Groundwater Bodies in the Occitanie Region (France)

In France, and more generally in Europe, the high number of groundwater bodies (GWB) per administrative region is an obstacle for the management and monitoring of water for human consumption by regional health agencies. Moreover, GWBs show a high spatial, temporal, physico-chemical, and bacteriological variability. The objective is to establish homogeneous groupings of GWB from the point of view of water quality and the processes responsible for this quality. In the Occitanie region in southwestern France, the cross-referencing of two databases, namely the French reference system for groundwater bodies and SISE-EAUX, provided a dataset of 8110 observations and 15 parameters distributed over 106 GWB. The 8-step approach, including data conditioning, dimensional reduction by Principal Component Analysis, and hierarchical clustering, resulted in 20 homogeneous groups of GWB over the whole region. The loss of information caused by this grouping is quantified by the evolution of the explained variance. Splitting the region into two large basins (Adour-Garonne and Rhône Méditerranée) according to the recommendations of the European community does not result in a significant additional loss of information contained in the data. A quick study of a few groups allows to highlight the specificities of each one, thus enabling targeted guidelines or recommendations for water quality management and monitoring. In the future, the method will have to be tested on the scale of large European watersheds, as well as in the context of an increase in the number of parameters.

Flow path monitoring by discontinuous time-lapse ERT: An application to survey relationships between secondary effluent infiltration and roots distribution

The infiltration of secondary treated effluent (STE) into the soil downstream of wastewater treatment plants is becoming increasingly common in a climate change context. In STE infiltration, STE is discharged onto the soil over a large surface allowing for a gradual infiltration of the water. This paper investigates a novel time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography strategy to evaluate the impact of STE infiltration on the water pathways of two planted loamy-soil trenches located in a Fluvisol region in southwestern France. The system has been monitored for 3 years using discontinuous monitoring of electrical resistivity tomography during four saline tracer tests. Results show that: 1) the new methodology has successfully highlighted the evolution of water pathways in the soil over time; 2) such evolution is in agreement with reeds root distribution in the trenches which seems to be affected by water quality i.e. sludge losses and TSS, for this study case. Indeed, for the infiltration trench receiving STE with lower pollution levels (2.2 mg TSS. L−1, 26 mg COD. L−1), the infiltration capacity is maintained over the years (4–6 mm h−1) and reed roots developed deeper in the soil. A sludge deposit present at the bottom of the second infiltration trench receiving higher pollution levels (7.2 mg TSS. L−1, 45 mg COD. L−1, plus episodic sludge release) could lead roots to develop close to the surface affecting the infiltration capacity which did not evolve over time. This work highlights the importance of long-term flow pathway monitoring in understanding the hydraulic behavior of infiltration surfaces submitted to STE.

A Resource-based View (RBV) of Entrepreneurial Sourcing Within the Pre-incubation Ecosystem

The identification and selection practices of project owners during the pre-incubation phase in incubators remain understudied. While previous works have implicitly pointed out without any empirical evidence that these pre-incubation practices are part of a process that impacts the performance of incubators, it is theoretically relevant and practically useful to make this process explicit and substantiate it through an in-depth analysis. In line with the recent literature on the ecosystem approach to incubator activity, we propose in this research a processual and ecosystem analysis of project owners’ identification and selection practices in different types of incubators using RBV theory as theoretical framework. We conducted a multiple case study (five types of incubators) in the south-western region of France (Occitania) by observing step-by-step the identification and selection practices of project owners. We collected data through 53 semi-structured interviews, participant and non-participant observation notes and secondary data. These data were analyzed with NVIVO 1.5 software following the Eisenhardt method. The results show that the identification and selection practices of project owners are part of an

Impact of deprivation on glycaemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes in the southwestern region of France.

The objective of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to determine predictors of poor glycaemic control in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), particularly with respect to socioeconomic status (SES). Our study population consisted of 1154 children who attended T1DM follow-up consultation with a pediatric diabetes specialist. Clinical and demographic data were retrieved retrospectively from patients' records. Individual deprivation was defined by an EPICES (Evaluation of the Deprivation and Inequalities of Health in Healthcare Centers) score ≥ 30. Patients were assigned to quintiles of the European Deprivation Index (EDI) based on their area deprivation scores. We used multivariable linear regression models to detect potential associations between glycaemic control and indicators of low SES. In total, 33% (n=376) of patients had an EPICES score ≥ 30 and 23% (n=268) were in the 5th EDI quintile. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that poor glycaemic control was associated with both individual (β 0.38; 95%CI 0.26-0.5; p < 0.001) and area deprivation (β 0.26; 95%CI 0.08-0.43; p=0.004). Demographic factors, body mass index (BMI) and insulin regimen were also independently associated with poor glycaemic control (p < 0.001). Interestingly, access to diabetes technologies was not related to SES or either glycaemic control. Low SES is associated with a higher risk of poor glycaemic control, independently of insulin regimen. BMI, age at the time of consultation, duration of diabetes, and insulin regimen. Also have an impact on HbA1c. These parameters need to be considered when developing novel treatment strategies for children with T1DM to better target at-risk patients.

Estimation of corn yield using multi-temporal optical and radar satellite data and artificial neural networks

The yield forecasting of corn constitutes a key issue in agricultural management, particularly in the context of demographic pressure and climate change. This study presents two methods to estimate yields using artificial neural networks: a diagnostic approach based on all the satellite data acquired throughout the agricultural season, and a real-time approach, where estimates are updated after each image was acquired in the microwave and optical domains (Formosat-2, Spot-4/5, TerraSAR-X, and Radarsat-2) throughout the crop cycle. The results are based on the Multispectral Crop Monitoring experimental campaign conducted by the CESBIO (Centre d’Études de la BIOsphère) laboratory in 2010 over an agricultural region in southwestern France. Among the tested sensor configurations (multi-frequency, multi-polarization or multi-source data), the best yield estimation performance (using the diagnostic approach) is obtained with reflectance acquired in the red wavelength region, with a coefficient of determination of 0.77 and an RMSE of 6.6qha−1. In the real-time approach the combination of red reflectance and CHH backscattering coefficients provides the best compromise between the accuracy and earliness of the yield estimate (more than 3 months before the harvest), with an R2 of 0.69 and an RMSE of 7.0qha−1 during the development of the central stem. The two best yield estimates are similar in most cases (for more than 80% of the monitored fields), and the differences are related to discrepancies in the crop growth cycle and/or the consequences of pests.

Compound extremes in a changing climate – a Markov chain approach

Abstract. Studies using climate models and observed trends indicate that extreme weather has changed and may continue to change in the future. The potential impact of extreme events such as heat waves or droughts depends not only on their number of occurrences but also on "how these extremes occur", i.e., the interplay and succession of the events. These quantities are quite unexplored, for past changes as well as for future changes and call for sophisticated methods of analysis. To address this issue, we use Markov chains for the analysis of the dynamics and succession of multivariate or compound extreme events. We apply the method to observational data (1951–2010) and an ensemble of regional climate simulations for central Europe (1971–2000, 2021–2050) for two types of compound extremes, heavy precipitation and cold in winter and hot and dry days in summer. We identify three regions in Europe, which turned out to be likely susceptible to a future change in the succession of heavy precipitation and cold in winter, including a region in southwestern France, northern Germany and in Russia around Moscow. A change in the succession of hot and dry days in summer can be expected for regions in Spain and Bulgaria. The susceptibility to a dynamic change of hot and dry extremes in the Russian region will probably decrease.

Improvement of Bare Soil Semi-Empirical Radar Backscattering Models (Oh and Dubois) with SAR Multi-Spectral Satellite Data (X-, C- and L-Bands)

The objective of this study is to improve the performance of semi-empirical radar backscatter models, which are mainly used in microwave remote sensing (Oh 1992, Oh 2004 and Dubois). The study is based on satellite and ground data collected on bare soil surfaces during the Multispectral Crop Monitoring experimental campaign of the CESBIO laboratory in 2010 over an agricultural region in southwestern France. The dataset covers a wide range of soil (viewing top soil moisture, surface roughness and texture) and satellite (at different frequencies: X-, C- and L-bands, and different incidence angles: 24.3° to 53.3°) configurations. The proposed methodology consists in identifying and correcting the residues of the models, depending on the surface properties (roughness, moisture, texture) and/or sensor characteristics (frequency, incidence angle). Finally, one model has been retained for each frequency domain. Results show that the enhancements of the models significantly increase the simulation performances. The coefficient of correlation increases of 23% in mean and the simulation errors (RMSE) are reduced to below 2 dB (at the X and C-bands) and to 1 dB at the L-band, compared to the initial models. At the X- and C-bands, the best performances of the modified models are provided by Dubois, whereas Oh 2004 is more suitable for the L-band (r is equal to 0.69, 0.65 and 0.85). Moreover, the modified models of Oh 1992 and 2004 and Dubois, developed in this study, offer a wider domain of validity than the initial formalism and increase the capabilities of retrieving the backscattering signal in view of applications of such approaches to stronglycontrasted agricultural surface states.

Comprehensive Evaluation of the Antioxidant Potential of Coastal Dune Mushroom Species from the Southwest of France.

Numerous mushroom species are used as food and for medicinal purposes; however, many species that may contain bioactive compounds remain underinvestigated. In this study, the antioxidant properties of extracts sequentially isolated with cyclohexane, dichloromethane, and methanol from 25 costal dune mushroom species collected in the southwestern region of France were evaluated based on their radical scavenging capacity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and Folin-Ciocalteu-determined total phenolic content. Overall, the antioxidant potential of dried mushrooms was assessed using integrated antioxidant scores. The highest antioxidant capacity values were demonstrated by the Cortinarius infractus, Agaricus coniferarum, A. menieri, and A. freirei species. These results may foster further studies of the selected mushroom species to valorize their nutritional and medicinal properties.

Capitalizing on opportunistic data for monitoring relative abundances of species.

With the internet, a massive amount of information on species abundance can be collected by citizen science programs. However, these data are often difficult to use directly in statistical inference, as their collection is generally opportunistic, and the distribution of the sampling effort is often not known. In this article, we develop a general statistical framework to combine such "opportunistic data" with data collected using schemes characterized by a known sampling effort. Under some structural assumptions regarding the sampling effort and detectability, our approach makes it possible to estimate the relative abundance of several species in different sites. It can be implemented through a simple generalized linear model. We illustrate the framework with typical bird datasets from the Aquitaine region in south-western France. We show that, under some assumptions, our approach provides estimates that are more precise than the ones obtained from the dataset with a known sampling effort alone. When the opportunistic data are abundant, the gain in precision may be considerable, especially for rare species. We also show that estimates can be obtained even for species recorded only in the opportunistic scheme. Opportunistic data combined with a relatively small amount of data collected with a known effort may thus provide access to accurate and precise estimates of quantitative changes in relative abundance over space and/or time.

Simulation study of the impact of changed cropping practices in conventional and GM maize on weeds and associated biodiversity

The introduction of genetically-modified (GM) crops is often accompanied by other changes in cultural practices. The objective of the present study was to evaluate these changes with the simulation model FlorSys which quantifies the effects of cropping systems and pedoclimate on weed dynamics as well as indicators of weed-related biodiversity (species richness and equitability, trophic resources for birds, insects and pollinators) and crop production loss (yield loss, harvest contamination, harvesting problems, field infestation). The study focused on two GM maize variety types, i.e. expressing Bacillus thuringiensis toxins against insects (Bt) and tolerating the non-selective herbicide glyphosate (HT). Two contrasting maize-growing sites were studied: Aquitaine, a region in South-Western France, and Catalonia in North-Eastern Spain. Typical regional cropping systems containing maize were identified for each site from expert knowledge and the Biovigilance database recording French agricultural practices. GM scenarios were based on expert knowledge, literature and current Spanish practices. A total of 11 most probable scenarios (1 conventional, 3 Bt and 8 HT) were simulated over 28 years for each region, and repeated with 10 different regional random weather series. An additional series of 5–7 scenarios per region was run to decorrelate factors, and make it easier to identify the cultural practices responsible for changes in weed flora, biodiversity and production. The simulations showed that the changes accompanying the introduction of GM maize varieties affected weed flora as well as weed-related biodiversity and crop production loss, but that the consequences depended on local conditions. Most of these consequences were caused by simplifications in the cropping systems made possible by the GM varieties, rather than by the glyphosate associated to GM varieties. Simplified tillage or no-till increased weed harmfulness, particularly in Aquitaine where the weed flora was poorer and dominated by larger and more persistent species. Conversely, no-till cancelled part or all of the nefarious effects on biodiversity of simplified rotations (maize/wheat and maize monoculture), particularly by improving trophic resources offered by weeds to birds, insects and pollinators. Overall, biodiversity was less affected by simplified rotations in Catalonia where the initial weed flora was richer and more equitable. Delayed maize sowing reduced weed harmfulness and biodiversity, except food offer for insects and pollinators whose pertinent feeding period covered spring and summer (vs. winter for birds). Based on the two most affected weed-based biodiversity indicators, ex post monitoring after GM introduction should focus on birds in Aquitaine and on pollinators in Catalonia.

The soil-crop models STICS and AqYield predict yield and soil water content for irrigated crops equally well with limited data

Climate-change scenarios predict increased scarcity of water available for agriculture in irrigated regions. To design and assess cropping system adaptations to more frequent droughts, soil-crop models are useful and efficient. The variety of models available makes it difficult to select one that is robust under a wide range of agro-pedoclimatic contexts and effective with limited input data and standard values. Here, we compared performances of two soil-crop models of contrasting complexity: STICS, a mechanistic model, and AqYield, which is much simpler and more empirical. For this purpose, predicted soil water contents and yields were compared to independent data acquired for three spring crops (maize, sunflower, and sorghum) at four sites in a summer-water-deficient region in southwestern France. Crops were grown under several irrigation strategies, from rainfed to full irrigation conditions. Both models tended to predict yields satisfactorily, but more accurately for maize, intermediate for sorghum and less accurately for sunflower. They accurately ranked situations according to crop, soil and irrigation strategy, but failed to rank inter-annual variability. Both AqYield and STICS predicted much of the variability observed in soil available water content (AWC) under maize and sorghum. Predictions were less accurate, although satisfactory, for sunflower. STICS underpredicted AWC under sorghum, but was generally more accurate than AqYield in situations with low water stress. AqYield was more accurate for high levels of water stress, but tended to overpredict AWC. Yearly dynamics of AWC were evaluated with a novel expert method. Both models accurately represented these dynamics in more than 60% of cases. Overall, we demonstrated that both models sufficiently predicted yield and water balance; however, STICS is more appropriate when other limiting processes need to be simulated.

Participative assessment of innovative technical scenarios for enhancing sustainability of French mixed crop-livestock farms

Mixed crop-livestock farming is regaining interest worldwide as a way to reduce environmental problems while allowing productive and economically viable agriculture. However, the number of mixed crop-livestock farms has been falling steadily in Europe, where production has become concentrated on specialised and enlarged farms. This study aimed to design and assess technical innovations which could enhance the sustainability of mixed farming in the difficult conditions of Less Favoured Areas. It was conducted in a hilly region in south-western France where mixed crop-livestock farming continues to be practiced. Innovative technical scenarios consistent with the two main adaptive strategies implemented by local mixed farms were selected with farmers and other stakeholders. The first, the “maximising farm autonomy” strategy, consisted of sowing forage legumes between two cash crops to achieve herd feed self-sufficiency while maintaining soil fertility. The second, the “diversifying production” management strategy, consisted of adding a heifer fattening unit to increase farm income. Both scenarios were assessed on two actual farms using a whole farm simulation tool, CLIFS, based on feed and manure balances. They then were combined with prospective scenarios on public policies and markets to analyse farmers’ capacity to cope with changes in their economic environment. Under current conditions, the two technical innovations allowed an increase of the total gross margin per hectare of cultivated area by respectively 8.9% and 17.1%. However, under contrasting future political and economic conditions, they were unable to mitigate the impact of drastic shocks. Public policy support would likely be needed to maintain local mixed crop-livestock farms in these contexts. The combination of discussions and simulations using concrete farm cases ensured a lively dialogue between researchers, farmers, and professionals. The process combined a broad range of empirical, technical and scientific knowledge and enriched both individual and collective learning.

Influence of agricultural practices on micrometerological spatial variations at local and regional scales

Soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfers significantly influence interactions and feedbacks between vegetation and boundary layer, in relation with plant phenology and water status. The current study focused on linking micrometeorological conditions to cultural practices at the local and regional scales (lower than 100 km2), over an agricultural region in South Western France. This was achieved considering observation and modelling tools designed for characterising spatial variabilities over land surfaces. These tools were the ASTER high spatial resolution optical remote sensing data, and the SEBAL spatialised surface energy balance model. Surface bidirectional reflectance and brightness temperature were first derived from ASTER data through solar and thermal atmospheric radiative transfer codes, and next used to infer surface radiative properties required for model simulations. Assessing model consistency in terms of air temperature simulations gave satisfactory results when intercomparing against weather station data, although basic model assumptions were not systematically verified in terms of spatial variability. Next, spatialised simulations of evapotranspiration and air temperature were analysed at the regional and local scales, in relation with pedology, land use, and cultural practices. It was shown model estimates were consistent with the considered crops and the related cultural practices. Irrigation appeared as the main factor amongst others (soil, landuse, sowing date…) explaining the micrometeorological variability. Although interesting and promising in terms of linking micrometeorological conditions to cultural practices, the results reported here emphasised several difficulties, specially about capturing subfield scale variability and monitoring the considered processes at an appropriate temporal sampling.

Sustainability and multifunctionality in French farms: Analysis of the implementation of Territorial Farming Contracts

Sustainable agriculture and ways to achieve it are important issues for agricultural policy. However, the concept of sustainability has yet to be made operational in many agricultural situations, and only a few studies so far have addressed the implementation process of sustainable agriculture. This paper provides an assessment of the Territorial Farming Contracts (TFC) – the French model for implementing sustainable agriculture – and aims to give some insights into the ways to facilitate the development of sustainable farming. Using a systems approach, the founding concept of the TFC model, an analysis has been made of the TFCs signed in the Midi-Pyrenees Region in south-western France. The results show that the first aspect of sustainability apparent in farmers’ projects referred to economic objectives. The environmental and social aspects were not foremost in the farming changes undertaken. In addition, the territorial dimension of the TFC was under-addressed. The majority of TFCs reveal a moderate or even low convergence with territorial priorities. These results are explained partly by the dominance of professional farming organizations in the implementation of TFC, and they imply that the organizational social dimensions of sustainability must not be neglected.

Evaluation of ERS scatterometer soil moisture products over a half‐degree region in southwestern France

This paper investigates the ERS Scatterometer soil moisture products precision over a half‐degree region in Southwestern France. Based on a high resolution soil moisture simulation (1 km2) validated at the local scale, the ERS‐scat product is assessed at its own resolution (about 50 × 50 km2). The study points out the suitable quality of the surface soil moisture product (root mean square error equal to 0.06 m3.m−3 for a 4‐year period) and assesses the retrieved root‐zone soil moisture accuracy provided by a semi‐empirical methodology exclusively based on surface soil moisture products.

Towards sustainable farming systems: Effectiveness and deficiency of the French procedure of sustainable agriculture

There is a widespread consensus about the importance of sustainable agriculture. In France, the Farming Orientation Law of July 1999 has set down a precise procedure for the implementation of sustainable agriculture: the contrat territorial d’exploitation – or territorial farm contract (TFC). This paper aims to analyse the TFC effectiveness. An analysis has been made of the TFCs signed in the Midi-Pyrenees Region in south-western France, using statistical analysis and qualitative surveys of a sample of farms. The results show that the most valuable effects have been mainly economic. Effects regarding social and environmental aspects were very limited. But from the point of view of an integrated approach, indirect effects of TFCs can be observed on social and environmental aspects. These results are explained, on the one hand, by farmers’ motivations guided by economic objectives, and on the other hand, by the dominance of professional farming organisations in the implementation of TFC’s procedure. Given these results, two ways of improving the elaboration procedure for TFCs are proposed. Firstly, technical improvements can be made to the diagnostic assessment of farms, and to the choice of actions addressed by the contract. Secondly, organisational improvements can be applied to TFCs elaboration and implementation process, in order to adopt a participatory approach which would involve all rural stakeholders.

Trends in myocardial infarction treatment in subjects aged 35–64 in Southwestern France, 1986–93

Background: The Southwestern region of France is characterized by a low mortality rate from MI. Since screening and management of the main cardiovascular risk factors has remained stable in this region, we hypothesized that any decrease in CHD mortality would be due to a better treatment of MI cases. Methods: Analysis of all MI treatments during hospitalization and at discharge collected between 1986 and 1993 in the Toulouse-MONICA register. Results: During the acute phase and at discharge from hospital, the prescription of beta-blockers and antiplatelet drugs increased whereas the prescription of calcium channel blockers decreased in men and women, although in women most trends did not reach statistical significance. In men, angioplasty increased steadily, whereas thrombolysis showed an increase followed by a slight decrease after 1991. After multivariate analysis adjusting for age, year, blood pressure, smoking status and personal history of coronary heart disease, women received significantly less beta-blockers and angioplasty and more calcium channel blockers and diuretics than men, while no differences were found for thrombolysis. Conclusions: The prescription of the most efficient therapies against MI has increased in Southwestern France during the period studied. The reasons for a lower prescription of beta-blockers and angioplasty in women remain to be assessed.

Efficacy of doramectin injectable against Oestrus ovis and gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep in the southwestern region of France

A study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of doramectin administered intramuscularly at a dose rate of 200 μg/kg to sheep harbouring naturally acquired infections of gastrointestinal nematodes and Oestrus ovis in the southwestern region of France. On day 0, 24 sheep were selected on the basis of positive faecal egg counts (>100 EPG) and positive assessment of O. ovis infection (including positive O. ovis antibody level and positive clinical score). The sheep were randomly allocated to a non-medicated control group (T1) or a doramectin-treated group (T2) of 12 animals each. On day 0, sheep in group T2 received a single intramuscular injection of doramectin (200 μg/kg), whereas those in group T1 received an intramuscular injection of saline solution (sodium chloride, 0.02 ml/kg). Individual faecal egg counts were performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 14. Between days 14 and 16, all sheep were slaughtered, and worm and O. ovis burdens were determined. In doramectin-treated sheep, faecal egg counts had decreased to zero by day 4 for all recovered types of nematode eggs: strongyles, Nematodirus sp., Trichuris sp., and Rhabditidae sp. For strongyles, Nematodirus sp., and Rhabditidae, the percentage reductions in faecal egg counts (geometric means) of doramectin-treated sheep, compared to the non-medicated control sheep were 100% from days 4–7. For Trichuris sp., they were 100, 99.7, 99.9, and 100% on days 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively. On day 14, percentage reductions were 100% for Nematodirus sp. and Rhabditidae, and 99.8 and 99.1% for strongyles and Trichuris sp., respectively. At necropsy, only adult nematodes and mainly first-stage O. ovis larvae were recovered. Doramectin was highly efficacious against the adult stages of Teladorsagia circumcincta (100%), Nematodirus battus (100%), Nematodirus filicollis (99.9%), Oesophagostomum venulosum (99.8%), and Trichuris sp. (99.3%). It was also 100% efficacious against first-stage larvae of O. ovis. No abnormal clinical signs or adverse reactions in any of the sheep treated with doramectin were observed.