Efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing equine cyathostome larvae on pasture in south Louisiana

The effectiveness of Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing the free living third stage larvae (L-3) of equine cyathostomes on pasture when fed to horses has been demonstrated in cold temperate climates. The objective of this experiment was to assess the efficacy of D. flagrans against equine cyathostomes in the subtropical environment of southern Louisiana. Fecal pats were prepared by mixing feces obtained from a parasite-free horse fed D. flagrans at a dose of approximately 2 x 10(6) spores kg(-1), with feces containing cyathostome eggs from a parasitized horse. Control pats contained feces from a parasite-free horse mixed with feces containing cyathostome eggs. The fecal pats were placed on pasture in six replicates at 4-week intervals from March 1997 until January 1998. Comparison of recoveries of L-3 from non-treated control pats in the field with non-treated coprocultures maintained in the laboratory indicated that L-3 survival on pasture was reduced during the months of May, June, July, August and September. The efficacy of the fungus was determined by L-3 recovery from grass surrounding the fecal pats of treated and control groups. D. flagrans significantly reduced L-3 during the months of April, May, and October 1997 to January 1998 (range 66-99% reduction, p=0.0001), and for the year as a whole (p=0.0001). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.