Ecole Supérieure d’Agronomie de l’Université de Lomé (ESAM), Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Agro ressources et la Santé Environnementale (LARASE), Lomé, Togo
In the perspective of improving cattle breeding and their health and for a better understanding of tick resistance to acaricides, this study was conducted in the Department of Korhogo. The objective was to verify the knowledge and skills of farmers on the use of acaricides and to contribute to the reduction of the impact of ticks on livestock productivity. Thus, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using elaborate questionnaires, followed by specific interviews with livestock stakeholders in the study area. The results showed that the majority of cattle breeders (58.06%) are Ivorians. Among them, 58.07% are between 27 and 45 years old. In addition, 51.61% of cattle farms have at least 50 heads with 83.87% being zebu breeds. In addition, to control ticks, 54.84% of farmers use alphacypermethrin as an acaricide, 41.93% of which are zebu breeds. However, none of the farmers used this medicine in accordance with the instructions and standards of use, 68% of them used an underdosed treatment and 32% an overdosed treatment. The most common method of treating cattle against ticks was spraying. The presence of ticks despite the use of alphacypermethrin could be related to the misuse of this product, resulting in resistance issues. It would therefore be important to respect the normal dosage of the product. In order to minimise resistance problems, awareness is needed among farmers for the proper use of acaricide products as well as all other drugs.