Feeding livestock means being aware of what nasty toxins may lurk in feed. From listeria, to DON, to ergot, several plant disease or soil-borne issues can end up in a final feed source. When issues arise, farmers and ranchers depend on testing and industry guidelines to know how much can safely be fed in a… Read More
Category: Ergot
If you’re looking for the magic formula to growing great wheat, you’ve come to the right place. In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson sums up how the soybean year finished off yield-wise for Ontario, why corn yields failed to impress, and then he digs in to the best crop ever — wheat!… Read More
We often focus our efforts on what to add to a total mixed ration in order to offer our animals the highest plane of nutrition necessary for their life stage. But, what about the substances that could create serious health concerns, or even death? “Moulds are a fungal growth, and the mycotoxins are actually a… Read More
A feed mill in Winnipeg will be the first commercial facility in North America to use an infrared-based grain sorting technology to remove grain infected with fusarium or ergot. Standard Nutrition Canada Co. is receiving $1.1 million from the federal and Manitoba governments, and investing $1.1 million of its own, to purchase two BoMill TriQ near… Read More
Ergot (often refered to as “Ergot of Rye”) is a disease caused by the plant fungus Claviceps pururea. It’s history with humans is rich and painful, believed to be a contributing factor in the Salem Witch Trials, and the diagnoses of “Holy Fire,” later termed “St. Anthony’s Fire.” Today, it is regarded as a highly… Read More
The hazards to feeding livestock mycotoxin-contaminated feed seem to be on everyone’s radar, with some very recent issues of ergot poisoning occurring across the prairies. But perhaps some of the lesser communicated risks are those that endanger the health of the very people who work with these feeds. Related: The Feed Industry’s Challenge with Mycotoxins… Read More
Mycotoxins can have devastating results when consumed, and in the livestock industry, poisoning seems to be on the rise, with perhaps the riskiest feedstuffs containing screenings. And it’s no wonder, when manageable levels of alkaloids are not completely understood, a visual inspection can’t quantify toxicity, and policies governing the sale of mycotoxin-contaminated screenings have a long… Read More
By Shane Thomas Plant nutrients are always big driving factors in how our crops yield, with macronutrients getting the majority of the attention. However, micronutrients can be limiting factors in a lot of our cropping systems, especially for those really pushing yield with intense management. One micronutrient that gets discussed a lot is copper. This… Read More
This years harvest samples show an alarming rise in ergot infection in wheat crops. The information comes from a Canadian Grain Commission report that shows upwards of 20 percent of western Canadian wheat crops have some degree of ergot infection. Ergot tolerances are very tight due to the toxic qualities of the ergot body that… Read More
RealAgriculture.com is happy to present a new feature segment we call “Under the Microscope”. We have partnered with BioVision Seed Labs to educate and inform producers with respect to what goes on inside the seed lab and hopefully take some of the mystery out of the process. In the first episode we talk to Holly… Read More