Bioassay of acaricide resistance on three common cattle tick species around Holetta area

Bioassay of acaricide reseistance on three common cattle tick species was conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Research Center by using standardized FAO Acaricide Resistance Test Methods. Larval progeny of Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus Acaricide Resistance Test Methods. larval progeny of Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus eversi evertsi and Amblyomma varigatum were sujected to larval packet test (LPT) employing for different acaricides namely, Dieldrin, Diazinon, Chlorfenvinphos and Coumaphos, each with five concentration levels. Statistical assessment of pooled mortality rates (least square means plus or minus standard error) to the tested acaricides were 67.93 plus or minus 0.86 for B. decoloratus, 97.93 plus or minus 0.86 for R. E.evertsi and 97.23 plus or minus 0.86 for A. varigatum. these values were different (p less than 0.001) between B. decoloratus on the one han and R. e.evertsi and A. Varigatum. The efficacy of Dieldrin, Diazinon, Chlorfenvinphos and Coumphos against all test ticks were 74.27 plus or minus 0.99, 84.72 plus or minus 0.99, 96.82 plus or minus 0.99 and 94.98 plus or minus0.99, respectively. Dieldrin and Diazinon and Diazinon had higher (p less than 0.001) killing rates of test ticks than chlorfenvinphos and Coumaphos. The finding of organophosphate (Diazinon) resistance is the first report of its kind in the country. It is generally presumed that resistant tick population is emerging at an increasing pace in the area warranting a serious attention. The poor efficary of Dieldrin and Diazinon may be attributed to the extensive use of chemicals like BHC and Bacdip. Furthermore, their faulty application characterized by irregular sprayin, failure to maintain adequate lethal concentrations, reliance on one component of tick control strategy and other managerial constraints could have contributed to the developed resistance problems. It is therefore, high constraints, reliance on one component of tick control strategy and other managerial constraints could have contributed to the developed resistance problems. It is therfore, high time to revise and consider the existing or other tick control strategies that could best address the alarming resistance problem as well as the managerial constraints hampering the successful use of acaricides.