Dry Conditions Increase
Poisonous Plant Concerns
It seems
there are always questions on poisonous plants and this year is
no exception. And we know the risk of poisoning increases in
drought years as livestock on pastures may be forced to eat
plants they would not normally consume. An example would be a
farm near the site of this year’s Farm Progress Days. The
exercise lot near the barn was filled with small jimson weed
plants. If consumed, this weed would cause serious health
problems and possible death. Additionally, weeds not usually
considered as toxic may become poisonous under certain
condition. For example, in a drought, pigweed and lambsquarters
accumulate nitrates, especially soon after a rain, and grazing
or feeding this forage could seriously affect animal health.
So if the
dry weather continues (at least for a sizeable area of the
state), two items I have prepared on this topic may be of
interest to you. One is a paper presented at this year’s Forage
Council meeting; it is found at this web site:
http://ipcm.wisc.edu/uw_weeds/extension/articles/poisonpasture.htm.
The other is an article on poisonous plants in last year’s
Crop
Manager
Both resources have the titles and ordering information of very
helpful poisonous plant books. You can also see the review
article on one of the best and newest references in the April
11, 2002 Crop Manager (page 35).
July 2002 |
