Controlling Ectoparasites on Welsh Organic Sheep Farms

1. Organophosphate (OP) based dips offer a broad spectrum control against all major ectoparasites in the UK. However, there is continuing controversy over the safety to dip operators and the environment. The use of OPs is prohibited by organic standards, primarily because of concerns about mammalian toxicity. 2. Organic farmers are permitted to use synthetic pyrethroids (SPs)(dip products and pour-on products) and/or macrocyclic lactones (injectable products) to treat/control ectoparasites providing a derogation has been obtained from the certifying body. 3. SPs have been shown to be considerably more toxic to aquatic organisms than OPs. The environmental impact of SPs is not limited to levels in dip but also to residues in sheep fleeces. SPs may be removed from the wool by climatic conditions and then deposited in the local environment. 4. The Environment Agency have indicated that the majority of sheep dip pollution incidents involve SP dips. Concerns have been raised that as organic farmers can only use SP based dips they may be contributing to the higher levels of SP based pollution incidents. 5. There is little information as to current practices amongst organic sheep farmers to control/treat ectoparasites or on how these farmers dispose of the spent dip. In order to address this lack of information a survey was carried out by ADAS Pwllpeiran to investigate current practices amongst sheep farmers in Wales. For comparison purposes both conventional and organic farmers were included in the survey. 6. In total, 134 questionnaires were completed with 96 completed by conventional sheep farmers and the remaining 38 being completed by either in-conversion organic farmers or fully registered organic farmers. 7. Results showed that 58% of organic farmers surveyed treated their flocks for ectoparasites compared to 67% of conventional farmers. 8. Of the organic farmers surveyed, 52.6% listed flystrike as a parasite for which they treated their flocks. This was comparable to conventional farmers where 58.3% listed flystrike. Only 21.1% of organic farmers surveyed listed scab compared to 61.5% of conventional farmers. Less than 10% of both conventional and organic farmers surveyed treated for other ectoparasites. Those who did listed lice and ticks as the main ectoparasites. 9. Despite a large percentage of conventional farmers listing scab as an ectoparasite to be treated, only 11.5% of those surveyed treated for ‘scab only’ compared to 51.0% who treated for scab in combination with other ectoparasite control. A similar pattern was seen amongst organic farmers surveyed, where only 2.6% treated for ‘scab only’ whereas 18.4% treated for scab in combination with other ectoparasite control. 10. Of the organic farmers surveyed, 36.8% treated for ‘flystrike only’ compared to 7.3% of conventional farmers. 11. Despite other ectoparasites such as lice and ticks being listed by both conventional and organic farmers neither of these two parasites were treated singly but were always treated in combination with other ectoparasites. 12. Of conventional farmers surveyed who treated for ectoparasite control, 76.1% listed plunge dipping as the preferred dipping method compared to only 22.7% of the organic farmers surveyed who treated for ectoparasites. 13. The use of pour-on products was higher amongst organic farmers with 54.5% using pour-ons as a treatment method compared to 16.5% of conventional farmers. 14. Less than 5% of the organic farmers who treated for ectoparasites used a combination of treatments compared to 19% of conventional farmers who treated for ectoparasites. 15. When asked how often they treated for ectoparasites, 54% of organic farmers treated once a year compared to 42% of conventional farmers. 27% of organic farmers treated twice a year whereas 52% of conventional farmers treated twice a year. 14% of organic farmers treated three or more times a year compared to 7% of conventional farmers. 16. All organic farmers who carried out plunge dipping operations used a SP based product however of the conventional farmers who carried out plunge dipping, 39% used an SP based product. Overall, 16% of organic farmers surveyed used an SP based dip product compared to 24% of conventional farmers surveyed. Of all conventional farmers surveyed 38% used an OP based dip product. 17. Where farmers carried out plunge dipping, 53% of conventional farmers diluted spent dip before spreading to land compared to 83% of organic farmers who carried out plunge dipping operations. Of all the farmers surveyed who carried out plunge dipping only 1 treated dip with slaked lime before spreading. 18. Of all organic farmers surveyed, 5% used a mobile dipping contractor compared to 23% of conventional farmers surveyed. 19. Where contractors were used on organic holdings they were also responsible for the disposal of spent dip. The contractor was responsible for the disposal of dip on 74% of conventional holdings using contractors for dipping. 20. On 42% of the holdings using contractors, the spent dip was removed from the farm whereas on 32% of holdings the spent dip was spread on the farm land. 26% of farmers using contractors in this survey did not know how the contractor disposed of spent dip. 21. The percentage of farmers treating their flocks for ectoparasite infestations is similar for organic (58%) and conventional (69%) sheep farmers however there is a marked difference in the species of ectoparasites treated. 22. Of the conventional farmers who treated their flocks for ectoparasites, 86% listed scab as a major parasite compared to only 36% of organic farmers who also treated their flocks for ectoparasites. 23. Overall, only 3% of the organic farmers surveyed treated their sheep specifically for scab, compared to 11% of conventional farmers surveyed. 24. Of organic farmers surveyed, 37% treated their flocks specifically for blowfly strike compared to only 7% of conventional farmers surveyed. 25. Of the conventional farmers surveyed, 51% treated their flocks for more than one ectoparasite infestations compared to 18% of organic farmers surveyed. 26. From the evidence of several of the completed survey forms some farmers appeared to be using incorrect treatment methods and some were using multiple treatment methods to treat ectoparasite infestations. The use of incorrect treatments or multiple treatments is largely a reflection of the plethora of products available and suggests a lack of understanding as to which products are appropriate and licensed for the treatment of specific ectoparasites. 27. The survey found that fewer organic sheep farmers use SP dips than conventional sheep farmers do. As there are fewer organic sheep farmers overall, there is little evidence that organic sheep farmers contribute disproportionately to the level of SP based pollution incidents. 28. Summary of Recommendations: A. A further in-depth survey would be valuable to elucidate the extent of the scab problem in the national organic flock. B. Both organic and conventional farmers have difficulty in selecting the best/ most appropriate treatment for their flocks. An educational campaign would help to remedy this problem. C. Annual training courses for certifying bodies and advisors to keep up to date with developments in research and products are recommended. D. Given the potential for SP dips to cause major environmental damage if disposed of incorrectly it is a mandatory requirement that organic farmers are licensed by EA to dispose of spent dip. Inspectors should ensure cross compliance where organic farmers are using dip. E. Certifying bodies need to consider all the available evidence as to what chemicals should be permitted to treat scab and other ectoparasites and where appropriate make alterations to the standards. F. Inspection of dips facilities and EA licence should be part of the annual inspection procedures. G. Certification bodies should collate information on dipping practices and dip disposal. H. Where a pollution incident occurs on an organic holding this should be reported to the relevant certifying body. I. Development and evaluation of IPM programmes should be assessed as a management tool to reduce use of chemical treatments whilst promoting good animal husbandry and management. IPM programmes should be incorporated with animal health plans

PST and PARR: Plan specification tools and a planning and resource reasoning shell for use in satellite mission planning

Plan Specification Tools (PST) are tools that allow the user to specify satellite mission plans in terms of satellite activities, relevent orbital events, and targets for observation. The output of these tools is a set of knowledge bases and environmental events which can then be used by a Planning And Resource Reasoning (PARR) shell to build a schedule. PARR is a reactive planning shell which is capable of reasoning about actions in the satellite mission planning domain. Each of the PST tools and PARR are described as well as the use of PARR for scheduling computer usage in the multisatellite operations control center at Goddard Space Flight Center

An expert system for scheduling requests for communications Links between TDRSS and ERBS

An ERBS-TDRSS Contact Planning System (ERBS-TDRSS CPS) is described which uses a graphics interface and the NASA Transportable Interference Engine. The procedure involves transfer of the ERBS-TDRSS Ground Track Orbit Prediction data to the ERBS flight operations area, where the ERBS-TDRSS CPS automatically generates requests for TDRSS service. As requested events are rejected, alternative context sensitive strategies are employed to generate new requested events until a schedule is completed. A report generator builds schedule requests for separate ERBS-TDRSS contacts

Livestock breeds and Organic farming systems

Organic livestock farming has grown in Wales in recent years. It is focused on producing animals from a predominantly forage-based system, with an emphasis on maintaining animal health through improved welfare and a reduction in the use of routine, conventional veterinary treatments. Breeding and feeding are important factors of the health and welfare of farm animals in organic systems. The guidelines of EU regulation (EC) 1804/1999 address the issue of sourcing of (breeding) stock. Moreover, only activities such as the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and embryo transfer are excluded, and few provisions are included that concern breeding. A number of breeds used in conventional farming could be considered as ’high maintenance’ animals requiring regular, prophylactic veterinary treatments and high-energy concentrated feeds to meet their potential. Such breeds may be unable to fulfil their potential performance under an organic system. A number of breeding strategies are outlined briefly, including traits that are important for organic production systems. Sire reference schemes have been introduced on organic farms in recent years. There is an increase in conservation grazing. Some breeds adapt well to these systems; especially local/native breeds since they utilise lower quality feed, are more resilient to climatic stress, and are more resistant to local parasites and diseases. Several actions are being, and have been, undertaken to maintain breed diversity. However, the need for a genetic pool of breeding stock from which to select is not reflected in the national strategies for livestock production. A Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) report (Yarwood and Evans, 2002) identified 18 breeds of sheep and 3 breeds of cattle associated with Wales. Several surveys have shown that, on organic farms, the Suffolk, Lleyn and the Texel are the main sheep breeds. The most popular beef breeds on organic farms are Welsh Black, Charolais crossbreed, Limousin, South Devon crossbreed, Aberdeen Angus and Hereford crossbreed. On organic farms, more native breeds seem to be used than on conventional farms. A few of these breeds are further discussed. Consumer demand is a significant driver of policy and standards, and value for money is still a major factor in determining consumer buying behaviour. The demand for lean meat and for homogeneity of both fresh and processed products, particularly in the major supermarkets, impacts on breeding policies. Research has shown that Welsh consumers prefer organic Welsh meat and milk. Economic viability of beef, sheep and milk production depends, in many cases, on subsidies. An increasing number of breed societies in Wales and the UK have become involved in promoting their breed as a brand. However, a recent Welsh survey showed that 13% of organically-produced lambs were still being sold as nonorganic due to finishing specifications (41%), a lack of organic market outlets (54%) and other reasons (4%), such as a lack of organic abattoirs (OCW, 2006). As market requirements are standardised and allow for little differentiation, some traditional and rare breeds face marketing difficulties. Furthermore, loss of small-scale abattoirs can reduce the ability for differentiation of breeds to enter niche markets. Large-scale abattoirs use standardised methods, which do not allow for differentiation. As mentioned in a report from DEFRA (2006), the national strategies for livestock production do not reflect the need for a genetic pool of breeding stock. Although breeding has to focus on what the market wants (mass or niche market), other factors also have to be taken into account. The choice of breeds/breeding used in the organic livestock sector needs to ensure the profitability of the farm, safeguard animal health and welfare, focus on conserving genetic diversity, and promote human health. The various breeds outlined in the report show various benefits. It is important to conserve, develop and utilise local breeds that are genetically adapted to their environment

Operational aspects of a spacecraft planning/scheduling expert system

Various operational aspects of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) are described. The ERBS-TDRSS Contract Planning System is an expert system which has been used operationally since June 1987 by the ERBS Flight Operations Team (FOT) at Goddard Space Flight Center to build weekly schedules of requests for service from the TDRSS. The basic operation of the system and significant enhancements and changes are discussed

The use of feed blocks as supplementation for theupland hill flock: (1) Improving organic ewe productivity and performance

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference of the Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR). Maintaining ewe performance in winter poses particular problems for organic farming in the uplands where the availability of both grazing and home produced forage may be restricted. This trial evaluated approved non-organic feed blocks as dietary supplement for ewes grazing pastures between 300 and 550 m

Smart FRP Composite Sandwich Bridge Decks in Cold Regions

INE/AUTC 12.0

The use of feed blocks as supplementation for the upland hill flock: (2) Cost effective lamb production

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference of the Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR).Under EU organic livestock regulations introduced in 2000, new restrictions were placed on the use of bought-in feedstuffs in hill systems. These reduced the non-organic annual percentage previously allowed in LFAs from 20% to 10% of annual dry matter intake. A further stepping down of these allowances may be introduced ahead of a complete ban in 2005. Bought-in feed supplements must therefore, be used strategically and offer “best value for money” in terms of ewe performance and lamb growth. The economic cost of supplementing the diet of twin-rearing ewes post lambing with either an approved non-organic feed block + half ration of commercial concentrate mix (B+CCM) or full ration commercial concentrate mix (CCM) was investigated. Lambs reared by ewes receiving the B+CCM diet had a greater liveweight gain than those reared by ewes receiving the CCM diet per kg of ewe supplementary feed. The costs in terms of kg lamb liveweight were lower for the B+CCM ewes than the CCM ewe

Eight years of organic farming at Pwllpeiran – livestock production and the financial performance of organic upland

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Established for 8 years, this project evaluates the practicalities of organic beef and sheep production on an upland farm in an ESA. Grassland productivity, stocking rates and animal performance are closely related to seasonal variations in the clover content of the small area of improved land. Improving sales have been offset by increasing input costs. Subsidy payments assist financial performance, but ESA prescriptions effectively prevent increased production