Free Chemical Resistance Testing of Maggots off Fly Struck Sheep
This offer is available until June 2024.
Long-term use and overreliance on just one chemical group for any type of pest control almost always results in resistance if good resistance management plans aren’t in place. There are only a small number of chemical groups registered for flystrike control and some of the chemical groups that the industry relies upon are no longer as effective because blowflies are developing resistance to them.
NSW DPI will build on an earlier blowfly resistance project, conducted from 2018 – 2020, to determine the effectiveness of each chemical group against field submissions of blowflies. While we had a very good response from NSW producers there were a few regions that we need to obtain submissions from. We are asking for producers to collect maggots off struck sheep, place them in the containers provided, fill out the submission sheet and post them back to us in the provided Reply-Paid sachet. Testing will be carried out on the submitted strain to determine if resistance is present to Dicyclanil (e.g. Clik), Cyromazine (e.g. Vetrazin), Ivermectin (e.g. Coopers Blowfly and Lice), Spinosad (e.g. Extinosad) and Imidacloprid (e.g. Avenge + Fly). In addition, this project will ascertain if cross-resistance between chemical groups is present.
The information provided by submitters will be de-identified and producers details will only be used to provide a general geographical location of the submitting property and for the results to be sent back to the submitter. Knowing the chemical resistance status on your property can aid in the decision-making process for flystrike prevention and control.
NSW DPI is also participating in an AWI-funded collaborative project with the University of Tasmania, who developed the Flystrike Risk Calculator found on FlyBoss, and the University of Melbourne who are investigating the genes associated with these resistances. UTAS have developed a new model which allows for the inclusion of resistance information. However, there are some assumptions required in the new model that need to be clarified by the additional blowfly genetic information from UoM and this field study by NSW DPI. The updated UTAS model will then be validated using projections across a range of production and flystrike management scenarios and comparing them with the results of this resistance testing survey. The updated and validated model will be used to determine the likely spread, persistence and impact of resistance to key chemicals and allow for examination of different management strategies to prevent or delay the development of resistance. In particular, consideration of whether any form of rotation is possible after resistance has been detected is of major importance
The aim of this collaborative project is to inform on the development of updated, consistent, and reliable resistance management advice to woolgrowers, helping prolong the effectiveness of existing chemical products, whilst avoiding or delaying the development of resistance of flies to them.
Producers who want maggot collection kits should contact:
Narelle Sales
narelle.sales@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Professional Officer (Research), Parasitology and Microbiology
Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute
Woodbridge Road, Menangle, NSW 2568
PMB 4008, Narellan NSW 2567.
AWI is co-funding each participant of the collaborative project. AWI and NSW DPI are funding this free chemical resistance testing project.