News Update
October 17, 2012
Livestock Producers Should Be Aware of Aflatoxin
in Corn Grain, Silage
Heat and drought over the summer months created an ideal environment for Aspergillus ear rot to form in corn grain and silage. The disease is caused by a fungus that may produce aflatoxin, which can be harmful to livestock.
"Aflatoxin can be very toxic and carcinogenic," said Donna Amaral-Phillips, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture dairy specialist. "The Food and Drug Administration limits the amount of aflatoxin allowable in lactating dairy cow feed to 20 parts per billion and 0.5 parts per billion in milk. These amounts are lower than what is allowed in diets of breeding beef cattle."
For more information, see the October issue of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, which will be released Friday, Oct. 19. .You can subscribe by clicking here.
Is There Clover in There? Getting the Most Out
of Your Soil Tests
If you've sent a pasture or hay soil test through your University of Missouri (MU) Extension Center, you've been asked what kind of forage you have. Next time, before you answer, think about whether you have a legume in there and how much of it there is, or if you want to add a legume, suggests an MU Extension agronomy specialist.
"These things make quite a difference in the fertilizer and lime recommendation," said Pat Miller.
Legumes like clover and lespedeza add quality to the forage and provide most of the nitrogen that the field needs. They also dilute the effect of the fescue endophyte fungus. Unless you're going for a fescue seed crop — yet a different soil test code and recommendation — or you are in the process of cleaning up your fields with some broadleaf herbicides, you probably want legumes in your field, Miller says.
"If your pH and fertility are in good shape, the legume should provide the needed nitrogen," she said. "Lespedeza can handle a lower pH than red or white clover. So if your pH is below 5.0, lespedeza may be a better choice than clover until your lime application has time to work."
If you want a legume, don't apply more than 20 to 30 pounds of nitrogen, or the grass may crowd out the legumes. It is also best to have it closely clipped or grazed so the legume seedlings have enough sunlight.
"If you get a soil test recommendation for a legume/grass mix, it assumes that you have at least a 25% legume stand," Miller said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
AgriLife Extension Livestock Workshop to Help
Producers Weigh Options
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Tom Green County will be holding a decision-making workshop for livestock producers from 1:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 24 at Producers Livestock Auction Co., 1131 North Bell Street, San Angelo.
"Concho Valley livestock producers are going to have to make some tough economic decisions very soon concerning their ranges' ability to carry their animals through the coming winter," said Steve Sturtz, AgriLife Extension agent in Tom Green County. "Even with the great rains most of the area has had recently, effects of two years of record heat and lack of moisture — coupled with desert termite damage on forages and high feed prices — have many producers wondering what to do.
"The whole goal of this workshop is to help stockmen sort out the options that will best meet their financial and herd goals in the coming months."
Sturtz said a slate of industry experts is scheduled to talk on topics including brush and rangeland management during and after drought and wildfire, supplemental feeding options, restocking for livestock producers and an update on livestock markets.
Individual registration is $10. RSVP by Oct. 22 to the AgriLife Extension office at 325-659-6524.
New App Lets You Report Invasive Species
Now there's a new tool for fighting alien invasions — your smartphone. Ohio State University (OSU) Extension has released a new app for spotting and tracking invasive species —non-native organisms such as Asian carps, purple loosestrife and Asian longhorned beetle — to try to keep them from setting up beachheads and hurting the economy and environment.
By using the free Great Lakes Early Detection Network app, a person can take pictures of suspected invasive species — whether of farm, forest or water — and upload the pictures and locations for verification.
Based on this early warning, scientists can send out alerts, map the spread and figure out a battle plan.
"Early detection gives us a greater chance of being able to handle infestations before they become so large that eradicating them isn't possible or feasible," said Kathy Smith, forestry program director for OSU Extension and a co-developer of the app.
Data submitted by the app's users goes into the web-based Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, which tracks the location and spread of invasive species throughout the United States and Canada.
The app divides sightings into the general categories of plants (including trees, vines, shrubs, herbs, grasses and forbs such as wildflowers), fish, insects, mammals, mollusks, crustaceans and plant diseases.
The network covers the states of Ohio, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Aflatoxin Less Pervasive than Expected
Despite early concern, very little aflatoxin has been detected in Michigan's new crop of corn. This is good news for growers who are already struggling with low corn yields, shattered soybeans and pending insurance claims.
Aflatoxins are liver poisons (hepatotoxins) produced by fungi in the genus Aspergillus. They are toxic to all organisms that consume grain, though ruminants such as cattle can tolerate higher concentrations than monogastric species (swine, humans, etc.) or poultry. Aspergillus fungi often colonize filling corn kernels when late summer weather is hot and dry, eventually causing ear mold or ear rot. The 2012 season produced ideal conditions for infection, leading the USDA to suggest pre-harvest testing of drought-damaged crops across the Corn Belt.
This year's loads of corn grain will also be tested when they reach the elevator. Two different assays are commonly used. Samples are first viewed under a black light. An Aspergillus byproduct called kojic acid fluoresces, glowing a blue-greenish gold under the short-wave ultraviolet light. However, the presence of kojic acid does not necessarily indicate high concentrations of aflatoxin. A second test can confirm the problem by detecting distinct aflatoxin proteins in ground samples.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Canadian and Mexican Processors Accepting
U.S. Horses for Slaughter
American shipments of slaughter horses to Canadian and Mexican processing plants were temporarily halted Friday, Oct. 12, when France, a member of the European Union (EU), refused to release a shipment of horsemeat derived from U.S. horses believed to be tainted by illegal drugs.
An EU Directive was initially blamed for halting the exportation of U.S. slaughter horses to Canada and Mexico. However U.S. authorities have indicated that such was not the case and that Canadian and Mexican processing plants had independently decided to halt U.S. slaughter horse imports.
The issue, whatever its beginnings or whoever was responsible, is now resolved and U.S. slaughter horse shipments to Canadian and Mexican plants resumed Monday, Oct. 15, 2012.
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