Parasiticide fungi for farming transition to pastoral systems

Endoparasitic infections are a major concern in animal husbandry, especially in pastoral systems. Regardless their high effectiveness, synthetic treatments can not prevent infections in animals which means that they are only a temporary solution. Moreover, even if they are fully cured, animals get quickly infectec when grazing because they ingest parasitic stages from soil, which means the need of frequent medication administration. This situation escalates with the appearance of resistant parasites to some treatments.

The FUNTRAPA project is based on the use of saprophytic fungi to control endoparasites in suidae and laying hens on pasture. These fungi were isolated from soil and animal feces from Galicia and are known to act as antagonists in different stages of the endoparites development (oocysts, eggs and larva). This will be accomplished by using strategies to ensure the presence of fungi and reduce the risk of infection, which results in a restriction of the use of antiparasitic medication only in those situations where they are vital, and making the maintenance and transition to pastoral systems easier.

The FUNTRAPA project is based in four points:

• A preventive approach to avoid infections, which reduces the risk of disease and development of lesions in animals;
• A sustainable strategy based on the use of antagonistic organisms, that are harmless to humans, animals and plants. These organisms naturally occur in the environment (soil) and are integrated in equilibrium with other soil microorganisms by which they are controlled;
• To provide farmers the opportunity to develop a first-hand procedure to solve a problem that significantly hinders the implementation of pastoral regimes using a strategy that can be fully extrapolated to other livestock species such as cattle, sheep or goat;
• To open a completely new possibility regarding fungi seed distribution in the pastures, facilitating the pastures conditioning and reducing the load of endoparasites found in soil, which will result in an optimal development of young animals.

Objectives

• The main objective of this initiative involves the application of innovative biological control techniques against endoparasites affecting grazing animals, with especial interest in facilitating the transition to pastoral systems. This will have a great impact from an economic, social and technological point of view.
• To facilitate the control of endoparasites in pig farms and laying hens in pastoral systems.
• To prevent endoparatisic infections in laying poultry and pastured swine.
• To promote sustainability and competitiveness of the swine and laying poultry production systems.

Expected results

• Provide a sustainable endoparasites control program for those affecting laying poultry and grazing swine.
• Reduce the levels of endoparasitic infection in suckling pig and laying poultry below 40%.
• Reduce by 40% the health and performance losses by endoparasitosis in swine and laying poultry farms.
• Limit the use of synthetic antiparasitic treatments to once a year.

FUNTRAPA is funded by grants for the execution of operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), 75% co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for the rural Development (EAFRD), in the framework of the 2014-2020 Galician Rural Development Program (RDP).

The Consellería do Medio Rural is the Galician Administration authority responsible for proposing and executing the general guidelines in the rural scope and encompasses powers in agriculture, livestock, rural development, and regional planning, rural structures, agri-food, and forestry industries, mountains, and prevention and defence against forest fires.

FUNTRAPA Operative group is responsible of this content