Strategic control of cattle ticks: milk producers' perceptions

Abstract

In order to evaluate milk producers' knowledge about tests on tick sensitivity to acaricides, efficiency tests and strategic control, questionnaires were delivered to 670 producers. From these, 163 responses were received. These producers had sent ingurgitated female ticks to be subjected to tests on tick sensitivity to acaricides at Embrapa between 2001 and 2005. Most of the completed questionnaires came from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. After descriptive analysis and correlation of variables, it was found that 48.5% of the properties owned herds of up to 100 head of cattle and 57.3% of the producers belonged to a cooperative. Among the respondents, 157 (98.7%) applied the acaricide indicated by the efficiency test, and 144 (92.9%) said that they applied strategic control but incorrectly. There was improvement in some control stages. However, only 12 (7%) showed comprehension of all the stages of strategic control. It was concluded that there is a need for continuing assistance, so as to achieve effective improvement in controlling Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.Keywords: Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, knowledge, milk producers. ResumoObjetivando avaliar o conhecimento dos produtores de leite que usufruíram do teste de sensibilidade dos carrapatos aos carrapaticidas -teste de eficácia e controle estratégico -foram enviados questionários a 670 produtores. Desses, 163 foram respondidos. Esses produtores representam aqueles que enviaram fêmeas ingurgitadas para proceder aos testes de sensibilidade dos carrapatos aos carrapaticidas pela Embrapa, de 2001 a 2005. Dos respondidos, a maioria localiza-se no Estado de Minas Gerais. Após análise descritiva e cruzamento de variáveis, constatou-se que 48,5% das propriedades possuem rebanho até 100 cabeças de gado; 57,3% produtores pertencem a uma cooperativa. Um total de 157 (98,7%) entrevistados aplicou o acaricida indicado pelo teste de eficácia, e 144 (92,9%) respondentes afirmaram ter seguido o controle estratégico, porém, não de forma correta, havendo, entretanto, melhora em algumas etapas do controle. No entanto, apenas 12 (7%) demonstraram compreender todas as fases do controle estratégico, apesar de terem recebido informações técnicas de como proceder com o controle. Conclui-se que há necessidade de assistência continuada para melhoria efetiva do controle de Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.Palavras-chave: Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, conhecimento, produtores de leite.

Perceptions of milk producers from Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, regarding Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus control

“…Among the interviewees, another 27% responded that they would only change the product when it stopped working. This proportion was lower than what was found by Amaral et al (2011a) (54.4%), Vivas et al (2006a) (54.1%) and Rocha et al (2006) (64%), who also found that declining efficiency was the main reason for changing the product.…”

“…This situation seems to have worsened, because Amaral et al (2011a) observed the same situation among 84.2% of the producers who were using tick sensitivity tests carried out by EMBRAPA Dairy Cattle, mostly in the southeastern region (91%). Three percent of the owners said that they used any acaricide that was commercially available ( Table 2).…”

“…These results indicate that producers need to be guided to promote rotation of the chemical basis, and not just the products, i.e. the same chemical basis with the same mechanism of action, since selection of resistant populations occurs very rapidly (AMARAL et al, 2011a;THULLNER et al, 2007). Multiple resistance is a very frequently encountered problem in the south of Minas Gerais (DAHER, 2011).…”

Principal component analysis on the perceptions of milk producers about Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus control in Minas Gerais

“…In this study, the questionnaires were constructed, the interview processes were conducted and the subsequent descriptive analyses of the data and description of the results were carried out in accordance with social research methodology (MINAYO, 1993;GIL, 1991), using questionnaires validated by Rocha et al (2006Rocha et al ( , 2011a and Amaral et al (2011).…”

“…Based on this situation, it has been recommended that strategic tick control should be implemented (MARTINS et al, 2006). However, milk producers continue to undertake tick control without using any technical criteria and with a high frequency of treatments (ROCHA, et al, 2006(ROCHA, et al, , 2011bAMARAL et al, 2011). Moreover, they use subjective parameters for applying and using acaricides (LEITE; ROCHA, 1999).…”