Ruminant nematodes in pasture under different grazing systems with sheep and cattle

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different grazing management systems on the parasitic nematode load (L3 larvae) in ruminants. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a factorial arrangement with four grazing systems and four rotations. The experimental period was 91 days, in a rotational system (7 days of occupation and 21 of days rest), in 8-ha pasture cultivated with Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia. The different management systems evaluated were: alternate, simultaneous and isolate whit cattle and sheep. Twenty mixed breed cattle, 30 lambs and 15 ewes were used (Santa Inês breed). Grass samples were collected for recovery and identification of L3-larvae every week, during pre and postgrazing. In all systems, the decreasing order the number of identified larvae was Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Oesophagostomum spp., Strongyloides spp., and Cooperia spp. Mean correlations were found between L3-larvae numbers in pre and postgrazing. Increasing rotation caused increase in the degree of infection irrespectively of the system used. The simultaneous system had the best control on the parasitic load of Haemonchus spp., on Tanzania grass pasture.