Interactions Ticks, Hosts and Pastures: Case of the Girolando Dairy Cattle and the Artificial Pastures of Panicum maximum and Panicum maximum var. C1

Abstract

On the Kpinnou ranch in Benin, it was observed that the Girolando dairy cattle which graze Panicum maximum var. C1 are more susceptible to infestation of ticks. The purpose of this study was to highlight the interactions between ticks and their bovine hosts and two types of artificial grazing pastures. Nineteen young Girolando dairy cattle were used during the big rainy season (March-June) 2009. All present ticks on the animals have been counted according to the body region. The bovine have been divided into two relatively homogeneous groups of ten and nine animals. The group 1 of 10 animals had been grazed on Panicum maximum whereas the group 2 of 9 animals had been grazed on Panicum maximum var. C1. During the two months of grazing, a weekly monitoring of the evolution of the load in ticks has been achieved. Four genera of ticks were identified on the bovine Girolandos (Amblyomma, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus and Boophilus). The Boophilus genus is the most abundant (P < 0.05). The animals having grazed Panicum maximum var. C1 are more infested than those that have been grazed Panicum maximum. A variation of the rate of infestation of the animals has been observed in relation to the different body areas. The colour of the coat also has an effect on the load in tick of the bovine. The bovine of dark coat are in general more infested (P < 0.05) than those of clear colour.