High levels of fungal disease like tar spot and southern rust are lurking in corn fields across the U.S. Midwest, threatening to reduce yields of a record-large crop and cause headaches for farmers during the autumn harvest.
Crop disease
Corn diseases lurk in bumper U.S. crop, threatening yields
Improving calf health, fighting pesticide resistance highlighted at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
New strides in agricultural innovation including improving calf health, fighting pesticide resistance were the featured topic at the University of Guelph Feeding The Future discussion at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2025.
Crop tour finds huge Minnesota, Iowa crops, but diseases lurk
Prospects for corn and soybean crops in Iowa and Minnesota are the strongest in at least 22 years, scouts on Pro Farmer’s annual tour of top grain-producing states said on Thursday, but diseases already lurking in fields could limit yields at harvest.
Experts doubt FBI’s claim that crop fungus smuggled by Chinese students is a threat
A biological sample that a Chinese researcher was accused of smuggling into the United States and that prosecutors cast as a “dangerous biological pathogen” is a common type of fungus already widespread in U.S. crop fields that likely poses little risk to food safety, experts said.
Two Chinese researchers accused of smuggling ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into U.S.
Fusarium poses threat
U.S. federal prosecutors have accused two Chinese nationals of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen that had the potential to be used as an agricultural terrorism weapon into the United States for research.
Alltech’s mycotoxin testing rates corn silage as riskier in 2024
News Roundup from the December 2024 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Alltech’s 2024 Canadian Harvest Analysis revealed significant regional variability in contamination levels in silages and grains, said the company in a press release. Early harvest testing suggests corn silage may be a higher-risk commodity across Canada, says Alltech. Barley may have a greater prevalence of mycotoxins, and in higher concentrations, than wheat. At press time, […] Read more
Comparing feed performance in pregnant cows
Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen
Last month’s column featured a University of Saskatchewan research trial that used high-moisture corn grain, snaplage or silage to partially replace barley grain or silage in finishing diets. While the steers were in the feedlot, this team wintered cows on the corn stover. See: Performance and ruminal fermentation of second-trimester pregnant beef cows fed short-season […] Read more
How to detect polio in cattle
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Polio, or polioencephalomalacia, in cattle is not considered infectious, but rather a pathological condition — a diagnostic term describing necrosis of the brain’s grey matter. Clinical signs include: When first described, polio existed primarily as a thiamine deficiency but is now recognized as a metabolic disease involving several factors. Animals exhibiting signs of polio suffer […] Read more
How the problem of ergot in cereals was solved in Alberta
In the story of ergot in wheat, barley and oats, the answer was simply ‘copper’
Glacier FarmMedia – When I was first hired by Alberta Agriculture as a diagnostic plant pathologist, I was told I would be primarily responsible for barley, oat, wheat and canola diseases. I was also asked to head up the provincial control program for bacterial ring rot of potato. The bacterial ring rot program, run in […] Read more
Vet Advice: Vibriosis
Vibriosis is an important venereal disease of cattle caused by the organism Campylobacter fetus. Some refer to the disease as campylobacteriosis. In sheep, it may be referred to as enzootic abortion, not associated with venereal transmission as much as ingestion of contaminated water and feed. Typically, the disease causes female infertility, with an increased number […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
