Working in conjunction with universities, government departments and hundreds of Australian woolgrowers, AWI is developing a best practice method of managing parasites to minimise their impact on productivity.

Worms, lice and blowflies are the three biggest health problems for the Australian sheep industry and represent over $700 million in direct and indirect costs to Australian woolgrowers every year.

Forecasts suggest that these costs could increase significantly, due to increased parasite resistance to chemical control, impeded market access from pesticide residues, and growing occupational health and safety concerns.

There is an urgent need to develop parasite control programs that do not strongly select for chemical resistance, produce nil or very low residue wool at harvest, and which do not pose human health concerns.

AWI has responded to this need and supported the Integrated Parasite Management - sheep (IPM-s) project to develop IPM-s management programs for the major sheep producing regions of Australia.

IPM-s Project

The IPM-s project has three components:

1.     Develop, apply and evaluate regional IPM-s programs on 23 demonstration farms located in many of the major sheep producing areas of Australia.

2.     Research to fill the knowledge gaps required for IPM-s programs.

3.     Conduct a national survey of sheep producers to determine parasite control practices.

IPM-s Partners

The organisations involved in the three-year $2.6 million project are:

• University of New England
• University of Melbourne, Mackinnon Project
• Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
• Department of Agriculture & Food, Western Australia

IPM-s Project Leaders

More information

Call AWI tollfree on 1800 010 530 or get in touch with:

Lewis Kahn
IPM-s Project Manager
tel 61 3 5352 3534
fax 61 3 5352 5003
email lkahn3@une.edu.au