B.AHE.0262-Formulating a research pathway to provide new options for flystrike control | 2023

Summary

This project aimed to conduct an extensive review of past research on flystrike, with a view to highlighting areas that hold promise for providing long term flystrike control. It aimed to highlight areas where the application of modern scientific and technological advances may be able to provide increased impetus to some novel, as well as some previously-explored, means to control flystrike. The report provides a number of recommendations for research activities into aspects of flystrike control: insecticide resistance management, novel chemical and biological control agents, novel delivery methods for therapeutics, improved breeding indices for flystrike-related traits, prevention of gastrointestinal nematode-induced scouring. It also identifies areas where advances can be made in flystrike control through the greater adoption of well-recognised existing management approaches: optimal insecticide-use patterns, increased use of flystrike-related ASBVs, management practices to prevent scouring.

Objectives

A great deal of scientific research has been conducted over many years with the aim of controlling the sheep blowfly. While this has been successful to some extent, long-term solutions to the problem of flystrike are still required. This project aimed to examine several proposed intervention strategies for the control of flystrike in order to provide recommendations on potential pathways for the sheep industry to be able to deal with this issue.

Key findings

Areas considered to be worthy of attention are highlighted, as well as those considered to show less promise for providing practical and impactful flystrike control options. The areas recommended for greater attention fall into two categories according to whether they are at a stage requiring substantial research input, or whether they are at a stage where a significant level of knowledge already exists, such that the emphasis now should be on greater adoption by the industry.

Research areas identified include:
· drug resistance management (drug resistance diagnostics, modelling of drug-use strategies)
· chemical and biological therapeutics
· novel delivery methods for chemical and biological agents
· development of more readily-measurable breeding indices for flystrike-related traits
· development of genomic selection methods
· prevention of gastrointestinal nematode-induced scouring.

Areas where advances can be made in flystrike control through the greater adoption of well-recognised management approaches include:
· optimal drug-use practices (resistance management strategies)
· guidelines for breeders on how to best use current flystrike-related Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs)
· management practices (including breeding and optimal anthelmintic use) to prevent scouring.

The position of the sheep ecto-parasite drug market in the commercial priorities of animal health companies is highlighted as an important determinant of progress in delivering new therapeutics for flystrike control, and the importance of coordinating research activities into novel therapeutics with the companies.

Benefits to industry

The project’s recommendations describe research and adoption pathways that will be important in delivering flystrike control options to the sheep industry.

Future research

Future research and recommendations include research and adoption pathways that could have significant impact in increasing the ability of the sheep industry to deal with the issue of flystrike. A number of areas are highlighted warrant research investment, and will therefore take some time to have an industry impact. Also highlighted are areas where the emphasis should be on greater adoption of existing technology and know-how.