A study of sheep scab in Northern Ireland including detection and identifying barriers to control.

Background: Sheep scab, caused by the highly infectious mite, is considered to be endemic in Northern Ireland, although little investigation has been reported. A pilot project was undertaken to engage farmers, confirm cases with diagnostic methods and identify specific barriers to control, with the aim of informing future control programmes.

Methods: Through farmers self-reporting suspected outbreaks, on-farm risk assessments and clinical investigations were carried out by the farm's veterinary surgeon, who utilised light microscopy and serological testing to diagnose scab.

Behavioural Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt Sheep Scab Control Measures in Northern Ireland.

Sheep scab, caused by infestation with the ectoparasitic mite , is an endemic disease in the Northern Ireland (NI) sheep flock and constitutes significant economic and welfare burdens for the NI farming industry. Despite its endemic nature, historically, little research has been undertaken to support the control of the disease in NI. This study offers the first attempt to analyse the psychological and behavioural factors influencing farmers' intentions to implement effective sheep scab control measures in NI.

Economic Viability of Adoption of Automated Oestrus Detection Technologies on Dairy Farms: A Review.

The decision for dairy farmers to invest in automated oestrus detection (AOD) technologies involves the weighing up of the costs and benefits of implementation. In this paper, through a review of the existing literature, we examine the impacts of investment in AOD technologies in relation to the profitability and technical performance of dairy farms. Peer-reviewed articles published between 1970 and 2019 on the investment viability of AOD technologies were collated and analysed.

Modelling environmental technical efficiency and phosphorus pollution abatement cost in dairy farms.

The dairy sector is an important sector in Northern Ireland being the single largest contributor to its agricultural economy. However, the sector contributes more to soil phosphorus (P) surplus compared to other agricultural sectors. Consequently, the goal of this research is to analyse the environmental technical efficiency of dairy farms making use of a novel parametric hyperbolic distance function approach.