Coadministration of Nematophagous Fungi for Biological Control over Nematodes in Bovine in the South-Eastern Brazil.

Abstract

This study compared the coadministration among the three nematode predatory fungi,,, and, in the biological control of cattle gastrointestinal nematodiasis in comparison with the use of the fungusalone. Five groups consisting of eight Girolando heifers were kept in paddocks offor six months. Each heifer received 1 g/10 kg of pellets containing the fungi (0.2 g of fungus/10 kg b.w.). Group 1 (G1) received pellets withandin coadministration, G2 receivedand, G3 received,, and, and G4 received the fungusalone. Group 5 (control) received pellets without fungi. The monthly mean of fecal egg count (FEC) of Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 93.8, 85.3, 82.7, and 96.4% smaller than the mean of control group. The treatments with pellets containingor+produced significantly better results than the+or the combination of the three fungi. The associations which includewere less efficient in this study thanalone or associated with