Title: Laboratory and field evaluation of conidia of Aspergillus oryzae against cattle ticks
Investigator: Yakob P. Nagagi
Tropical Pesticides Research Institute,
Tick control is an integral component of livestock health management strategies. The most devastating tick species in East African region includes Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Amblyomma variegatum and Boophilus decoloratus with the first two being the most widely distributed in Tanzania. For many years, the use of chemicals has been the main stay of many tick control programmes. Undeniably, public health concern due to residues in food chain and the possible environmental pollution are factors that call for alternative solutions. Such factors are further compounded by ever-increasing worry of emerging tick resistance to commonly used acaricide molecules. It is therefore not surprising that the interest for alternative tick control option is one of the AfriCoTT agenda, which is to “conduct research on innovative and culturally acceptable tick control option”. One such option is the use of entomopathogenic fungi in tick control.
This study is currently evaluating the efficacy of Vector Biocide®, an insecticide product that contains conidia of Aspergillus oryzae, against cattle ticks.