ARS | Publication request: CATTLE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE NEMATODE CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL OF PARASITE-FREE BERMUDAGRASS PASTURES.

Submitted to: American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: July 21, 1997
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: A long-term experiment was conducted with pasture management to determine soil-quality restoration of highly degraded, cultivated land. Part of this study, was to determine if land that had been cultivated for years and expected to be free of nematode parasites, could be maintained parasite-free with judicious cattle management. Nitrogen was supplied to 0.7 ha paddocks of Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers.) with either NH4NO3, poultry manure, or crimson clover. Pastures were grazed at either high (H) 1000 to 1500 kg/ha or low (L) >2500 kg/ha grazing pressure that was based on the amount of above-ground forage, with a differential of at least 1500 kg/ha. These pressures were maintained by put-and-take grazing. Pastures were stocked with yearling steers from mid-May to mid-October. Cattle management included treatment with pour-on ivermectin 21 days prior stocking, treatment with albendazole 7 days prior to stocking, and treatment with injectable ivermectin 48 hours prior to stocking of the pastures with the cattle remaining in drylot during the 48-hour period. Nematode eggs per gram of feces (epg) were monitored at 28-day intervals. After three years, there were no differences among fertilization or grazing pressure treatments. Within year, maximum epg were observed in October. Mean epg at the end of the grazing period of years one, two, and three were 3.6, 0.4, and 3.0, respectively. After three years of grazing during the warm season in North Georgia, pastures remained "essentially free" of nematode parasites.