Abstract

ROSSNER, M.V. et al. Efecto del control estratégico de la garrapata común del bovino Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus sobre la ganancia de peso en vaquillas Braford en el noreste de Argentina. RIA. Rev. investig. agropecu. [online]. 2022, vol.48, n.1, pp.41-47.  Epub Apr 06, 2022. ISSN 1669-2314.

The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of the strategic control of Rhipicephalus microplus on body weight gain of Braford heifers in northeastern Argentina. Two experiments with a similar design were carried out in Corrientes (Colonia Tabay) and Chaco (Colonia Benítez) Provinces. Strategic control schemes were applied different groups of heifers with the application of three or four treatments with chemical acaricides between August and December, and the number of ticks and the daily weight gain (GDP) were compared between them and with a control group without treatments. In Colonia Tabay, the GDP in the two groups treated with strategic control schemes was significantly higher than in the control group, which had higher level of infestation with ticks. The group subjected to strategic control in Colonia Benítez also had a significantly higher GDP than the control group. Differences in GDP between groups subjected to strategic control and control groups fluctuated between 0.09 and 0.149 kg/day. The application of strategic control against R. microplus implied a differential mean weight gain regarding the groups without treatments of 29 and 42 kg in Colonia Tabay heifers and 25 kg in Colonia Benítez. The results show that the application of strategic treatment schemes to control infestation with R. microplus in northeastern Argentina contributes to significantly reduce the abundance of ticks and enable obtain better body weight gains in growing cattle by preventing high levels of parasitism on animals.

Keywords : ticks; control; cattle; body weight gain; Argentina.