Seasonal effect of three pasture plants species on the free-living stages of Haemonchus contortu

Abstract

To evaluate both the development and survival of free-living stages of Haemonchus contortus obtained from feces of infected ovine in the four seasons of the year, eggs of this nematode were deposited on three grass species commonly used as sheep pasture in Brazil (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Australian, Cynodon dactylon cv. Coast-cross, and Panicum maximum cv. Aruana). The grasses were cut 5 or 30cm height before depositing the feces. Samples of grasses and feces were collected in six sub-plots from each plot one, two, four, eight, 12, and 16 weeks after contamination to determine the recovery of infective H. contortus larvae. Most infective larvae were recovered from feces or grass samples deposited on 30cm height herbage. High temperature and precipitation levels during the rainy season reduced the infective larvae recovery period from the environment. The best weather conditions for larvae development and survival, in both feces and grasses, were lower temperatures, around 17C, in association with low precipitation levels. In general, more larvae were recovered when fecal samples were deposited on Aruana grass.