Targeted selective supplementation with local plants improves goat health and decreases anthelmintic treatment on Malawi smallholdings

Abstract

Abstract Locally available botanical resources offer low-cost nature-based solutions to control gastrointestinal nematodes among resource-poor goat smallholdings. To evaluate the impact of botanical resources with veterinary tools for GIN monitoring, a smallholder-led targeted selective treatment (TST) regime was trialled in rural Malawi. TST was performed using the Five Point Check (FPC) to monitor goat health and provide interventions to goats with health scores indicative of GIN disease. Half the participants formed the plant-TST group, where ‘borderline’ or ‘sick’ goats were supplemented with 250 g per day of Commiphora africana , Ficus ingens , or Gmelina arborea for five days. Supplementation species were selected based on local awareness, availability, and anthelmintic activity. The control-TST group performed the FPC but performed feeding as normal. For both groups, ‘sick’ goats were provided anthelmintic, with GIN infections confirmed by faecal egg counts. The FPC-TST approach supported goat health, minimising misdiagnosis and ‘missed’ diagnosis of GINs. Plant-TST reduced anthelmintic need by 54% compared to control-TST, enhanced GIN clearance, and improved recovery time in sick goats. Plant-TST also reduced the harvesting of experimental plants by 86–97% compared to whole-herd approaches. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrative nature-based approaches for farmers and enhancing smallholding in low-resource areas.