USE OF PLANT ACARICIDES IN RHIPICEPHALUS (BOOPHILUS) MICROPLUS CONTROL: A CONTRIBUTION TO PRODUCTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The cattle industry in Brazil represents great importance, with emphasis on exports, besides attendance of the domestic market. However, animal production is directly influenced by parasites. Among these parasites are ectoparasites, mainly in cattle, the tick Ripicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. For mites control are used, most often, the conventional management with synthetic products. From this fact, the use of these chemicals controllers becomes problematic, because the resistance evolution to these ticks to active ingredients come evolving even faster. This fact reflects directly an excessive number of applications combined with higher than recommended doses, at intervals of less than necessary. For this reason the numbers of scientific studies are growing with the aim to develop products that are less aggressive and more sustainable. Thus, in a country with an extremely diverse flora such as Brazil, sources for these studies are the plants with acaricidal properties. In recent years it has increase significantly plant species and substances studied with acaricidal effect. In vitro studies show most of these works; however validations in animals are still scarce. As an initial step these studies are valuable because they encourage further studies to confirm and complement the work done in the laboratory. Problems are also related to the solubility and extracts preparation, emulsified concentrates and other products, this being one of the current challenges in this work area. The establishment of herbal ectoparasites treatments shows up as an evolution towards the achievement of sustainability in livestock sector.