Indigenous open-source tick-control technology among dairy farmers and its associated factors

Sustaining, reinforcing, and scaling indigenous technical knowledge has gained prominence in dairy health care. The National Innovation Foundation-India [NIF] had standardized a technology involving widely recognized medicinal properties of neem (Azadirachta indica) and nagod (Vitex negundo) for the control of tick infestation. A total of 50 dairy farmers from two geographic regions who used this polyherbal formulation between 2016 and 2022 participated in the study. On an average, recurrence of tick infestation was noted only by 46±9.77 days post-treatment, offering seven-week protection. About 30% of respondents prepared this do-it-yourself in situ technology at their farm field, leading to the replacement of at least 1,60,000 µg formamidine per animal during the high tick-infestation period of eight months. This study emphasises the in situ value addition of herbal medicinal preparation for attaining sustainable development goals.