Aplicação e uso por produtores do controle estratégico do carrapato bovino adotado pela Embrapa Gado de Leite

Abstract

With the objective of evaluating the knowledge of milk producers who have received instructions about Efficiency Test and strategic control of cattle ticks by Embrapa Milk Cattle, and those who haven't, there were interviewed, on this present study, by means of questionnaires, 163 producers from the first case, mostly belonging to the state of Minas Gerais, from which 48.5% of the properties with herds up to 100 head of cattle, and 57.3% of the producers belonging to cooperatives; and, 93 producers from the second case, belonging to the estate of Minas Gerais, from which 40.9% producers belong to a cooperative and 92.4% of the properties have herds up to 100 head of cattle. After descriptive analysis and variable crossings, it was determined that among those who had knowledge of strategic control, 157 (98.7%) applied the acaricide indicated by the efficiency test, and 144 (92.9%) affirmed following strategic control, but only 12 (7%) demonstrated understanding of all the stages of strategic control. On the second case, for 96.4% of the producers the determining moment of treatment was the infestation degree of ticks, 67.2% producers choose the acaricide based on advertisements. Other variables tested about biology and control did not demonstrate significant association. The worrisome aspect is that, mostly in the answers considered to be wrong, it is evident that proprietors believe to have knowledge on the subject. The result of this false knowledge is such that they continue to commit control mistakes, in the application of products and don't search for help or a better explanation because they do not see the need to. These data demonstrate the existence of flaws in the proprietors knowledge of biology and cattle tick control.