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The Effect of Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and White Clover (Trifolium repens) in Mixed Pasture Swards on Incoming and Established Nematode Infections in Young Lambs

Effekt av betesvall innehållande käringtand (Lotus corniculatus L.) eller vitklöver (Trifolium repens L.) på inkommande och etablerade parasitinfektioner hos unga lamm

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 41, pages 351–361 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Lotus corniculatus L., a leguminous plant containing condensed tannins, is now being evaluated in Sweden as a component of mixed pastures. This is because of its high nutritive value, palatability, modest requirement for water, calcium and phosphorous and particularly because it has the ability to survive harsh weather conditions that typify northern Scandinavia. This trial was undertaken to assess the possible parasitological benefits of using L. corniculatus when fed as a minor component in a mixed pasture sward to young sheep. This was compared with similar sheep that were fed pasture with a comparable legume content consisting of Trifolium repens L. Separate groups of lambs, maintained in pens and provided with fresh pasture cuts containing either L. corniculatus or T. repens each day, were trickle-dosed with infective larvae of mixed parasite species. For each pasture type, groups of 6 lambs had either established worm burdens only, received incoming infections only, or had the combination of both adult and incoming infections. Worm burdens were monitored by serial faecal egg counts and at the termination of the study, all animals were slaughtered for worm recovery, identification and enumeration. The results showed that there were no differential effects between L. corniculatus and T. repens on the different stages of development for a range of nematode parasite species recovered from these lambs. Several reasons may account for this: such as the low level of condensed tannins in the L. corniculatus variety tested, the minor proportion of this plant in the diet and/or the variety of L. corniculatus used in this trial which do not provide any benefits to controlling parasites of sheep.

Sammanfattning

Käringtand, Lotus corniculatus L., är en baljväxt som på senare år rönt ökat intresse som betesväxt, bl a grundat på dess innehåll av kondenserade tanniner (CT). Målet med foreliggande experiment var att studera om växten genom sitt CT-innehåll har någon antiparasitär effekt på parasitinfekterade lamm. Tre månader gamla lamm utfodrades dagligen under 6 veckor med olika grönfoderblandningar, antingen bestående av L. corniculatus och Phleum pratense (timotej) eller som jämförelse en CT-fri blandning av Trifolium repens L. (vitklöver) och timotej. Baljväxtandelen i foderstaten var i medeltal 15% och intaget av CT från käringtandblandningen var ca 0,1% av dagligt torrsubstansintag. Grupper om 6 lamm på varje foderstat infekterades med totalt 6000 infektiösa L3-larver av Ostertagia, Haemonchus cont. m fl arter. Lammen infekterades antingen en månad före utfodringens början eller under senare delen av utfodringsperioden eller vid båda tillfällena. Utskiljningen av trichostrongylida ägg per gram träck (epg) registrerades varannan vecka genom individuella träckprov. Efter utfodringsperiodens slut slaktades samtliga lamm och etablerade parasiter i löpmage och tunntarm räknades och artbestämdes. Det förelåg inga signifikanta skillnader melian de lamm som fatt L. corniculatus och de som fått T. repens, varken vad beträffar parasiternas artsammansättning eller utvecklingsstadiernas fördelning. Resultaten av denna undersökning visar inte på någon parasithämmande effekt hos käringtand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden

    G. Bernes

  2. Department of Parasitology (SWEPAR), National Veterinary Institute, SE-751 89, Uppsala, Sweden

    P. J. Waller & D. Christensson

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  1. G. Bernes
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  2. P. J. Waller
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  3. D. Christensson
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Correspondence to P. J. Waller.

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Bernes, G., Waller, P.J. & Christensson, D. The Effect of Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and White Clover (Trifolium repens) in Mixed Pasture Swards on Incoming and Established Nematode Infections in Young Lambs. Acta Vet Scand 41, 351–361 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03549626

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147