Quantitative modelling and prediction of development times of the free-living stages of Ostertagia ostertagi under controlled and field conditions

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Abstract
The development of the free-living stages of Ostertagia ostertagi incubated at constant temperatures from 5 to 27 °C and in dung pats in the field was observed. The death rates were adequately described by a single exponential function and the distribution of times for development by a delayed gamma density function. The times of appearance of selected development stages such as maximum numbers of embryonated eggs and half the maximum number of infective larvae, were highly dependent on temperature. The relationships between these times and temperature were adequately described by the Arrhenius equation. The parameters of this equation and mean hourly temperatures recorded in dung pats in the field were used to predict development times in the field. A comparison of predicted and observed times showed that an initial delay accounted for a large proportion of the time required for development in dung pats, particularly the embryonation of eggs. This delay was attributed to lack of aeration associated with high moisture content of the dung pat.