No abstract

Intestinal parasitic infection is one of the major challenges in obtaining optimal production and maintaining the health and welfare of all animals including cattle and buffaloes. Anti-parasitic treatments appear to be a reliable countermeasure. However, the effectiveness and selection of suitable anthelmintics require situational assessments in a given locality. In the current study, the efficacy and impact of benzimidazole (albendazole) were assessed in a total of 400 (100 each) on the performance of buffaloes, buffalo-heifer, cattle, and cattle-heifers at two commercial dairy farms in the Province of Punjab, Pakistan. Additionally, the cost-benefit ratio was calculated by assessing the inputs (medication, feed, and labor cost) and outputs (milk and weight gain). The qualitative and quantitative examination of helminth eggs in each type of animal indicated a prevalence of 73.3, 78.3, 76.6, and 85.0% in cattle, cattle-heifers, buffaloes, and buffaloes-heifers, respectively. Specifically, a highest rate (10.0–13.3%) of Haemonchus sp. infection was only observed in cattle and heifers, while Fasciola sp. infections (10.0–11.6%) were the most often found species in buffaloes and heifers. The highest anthelmintic impacts (egg per gram of feces, p < 0.001) were observed on day 14 post-medication. Until 60 days of post-anthelmintic treatment, an average increase of 0.8 and 0.7 L in milk production per day in cattle and buffaloes, respectively while a total of 11.45 and 9.45 kg body weight were noticed in cattle-heifer and buffaloes-heifer, respectively. Cumulative cost-benefit analysis indicated a positive correlation between treated and non-treated animals. These findings reiterate the importance of anthelmintic drugs in reducing the impacts of parasites on the productivity, health, and well-being of an animal under high infection challenges.

The present investigation was carried out at Horticultural Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2017-2019 to evaluate the effect of different growth regulators on root induction of Date palm suckers. There were six treatments i.e., T0 (Control), T1 (Indol butyric Acid (IBA) @2000 ppm), T2 (IBA@4000 ppm), T3 (Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) @2000 ppm), T4 (NAA@3000), T5 (IBA@2000 ppm + NAA@2000 ppm). Growth regulators significantly affected the survival percentage, number of leaves, leaf length and number of roots plant-1. Results showed that IBA@4000 ppm gave maximum success percentage (76.3%), highest survival percentage after 90 days (43.8%), maximum number of leaves (4.5), highest leaf length (20.6cm) and highest number of roots plant-1 (24.8). In view of these results, it is concluded that IBA can be used @ 4000 ppm for better root induction of Date palm suckers.

D airy farmers introduce highly productive animals (exotic breeds), but the environmental condition of the area (Pakistan) cannot allow them to attain their peak production that limit the farmers dream on their feasibility report (Rashid et al., 2018). Intestinal parasites are the major constraints for economic losses in productive animals at dairy farms. They cause anorexia, anemia, retarded growth, weight loss, delayed sexual maturity, low productivity (milk and meat) and increased susceptibility of animals to other infections (Yadav et al., 2004). Gastrointestinal parasitic problem is the worldwide (Regassa et al., 2006). Ruminants gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle includes, Trichuris, Haemonchus, Oesophagostomum, Bunostomum, Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, Capillaria (Hosking et al., 2008). The reported prevalence of helminths in Pakistan ranges from 33.68-51% (Khan et al., 2010). The use of broad spectrum anthelmintic of benzimidazole (albendazole) group was evaluated its effect on milk production, body condition score and eggs per gram (EPG). Reported albendazole efficacy against Ostertagiaostertagi, adult, DL4 and EL4 is 99.00, 95.50 and 84.90%, respectively. The current study was performed on a Holstein Friesian cattle with the history of decrease production, diarrhea and weight loss with anorexia. The studied animal was purchased from local market. Fecal samples from normal and infected animals were taken for the diagnosis of anthelmintic, its efficacy and effect on milk production and body condition score for a period of one month. The normal animal was dewormed with albendazole one month