IXOCONT

[acronym for Biological Control of ticks (Ixodes ricinus) by the entomopathogenous fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch) Petch (Ixodes Control)] is an European Regional Development Fund project  (ERDF) part-financed by the European Union (INTERREG III A Austria – Italy),
Land Tirol (Austria) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Austria, Lebensministerium).

Runtime: 2006-2008

Based on the experience of the experts from the BIPESCO Team Innsbruck (Austria) and Research Centre Laimburg (Auer/Italy) the aim of this project was to establish a method of rearing ticks and to test active ingredient formulations of Metarhizium (BIPESCO 5) for their field applicability. Formulations of the production strain BIPESCO 5 were been tested in a demonstration study both in North- and South Tyrol in the second year of the project (2007). The field trials were conducted in defined tick “hot spot” areas according to the TIMO survey. Also the development of a robust PCR assay for Borrelia-dagnostics was aimed.

For further information please contact:
Co-ordinator: Mag. Dr. Hermann Strasser

Project details: https://dafne.at/projekte/ixocont