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Ergot is best recognized in the field as black or dark purple sclerotia sticking out of a floret.
Cereals, Crops

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’

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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
Ergot on grass in Somerset, U.K. Ergot was identified as a toxin centuries ago, but we still haven’t found an effective treatment for the toxicity. Photo: Ian_Redding/iStock /Getty Images Plus
Vet Case Study

Ergot: Madness meets modern medicine

Vet Case Study: The risk of ergot toxicity has only grown for cattle, but ergot alkaloids can also be used in human medicine

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Ned had a question one morning when he stopped by the clinic for vaccine. “Is ergot still a problem in cattle feed?” “We seem to worry more about ergot today than we did thirty years ago,” I replied. “Don’t know exactly why, but I think cropping practices changed as did our concern about ergot. Headlands […] Read more
Study finds ergot has little effect on bull breeding soundness
Beef Cattle, Livestock, News Roundup

Study finds ergot has little effect on bull breeding soundness

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A study at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has found that bulls can eat feed contaminated by ergot alkaloids without it severely affecting their reproductive health.  Vanessa Cowan, who conducted the study at WCVM, says they decided to conduct this study after producers expressed concern that ergot in their feed […] Read more
A steer panting excessively due to heat stress.
Animal Health, Beef Cattle, Features

Warmer weather boosts ergot risk in cattle

Researchers found symptoms ranging from decreased weight gain to heat stress even though ergot levels in feed didn’t breach CFIA limits

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New research has found that feedlot cattle can develop problems when fed ergot even within allowable limits. Ergot is a fungus that can grow on certain grasses and grain plants when moisture conditions are just right. It becomes a problem mainly after a wet growing season. The fungus replaces the seed head with a dark […] Read more
Ergot (seen at right) is a common cause of mycotoxin in grains.
Cereals, News

USask PhD student earns Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship for fungal research

Leading-edge research into ergot contamination recognized

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University of Saskatchewan (USask) PhD student Jensen Cherewyk has been awarded one of Canada’s most prestigious doctoral scholarships for leading-edge research into an overlooked compound formed by a toxic fungus in forage grasses and cereal grains that threatens human and animal food safety.  “I was not expecting it, and I’m very grateful,” Cherewyk said about receiving the Natural Sciences and […] Read more
Ergot (seen at right) is a common cause of mycotoxin in grains.
Beef Cattle, News, News Roundup

Mycotoxins and beef cattle

Health: News Roundup from the January 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

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The Beef Cattle Research Council recently posted an article on mycotoxins and how they affect beef cattle. Mycotoxins are produced by certain types of fungi. Fusarium and ergot are two of the most common causes. Mycotoxins can be found in green pasture, cereal swaths, standing corn for winter grazing, cured and ensiled grass, cereal forages […] Read more
Crops, Weather

Rye production could fall 25 per cent, analyst says

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CNS Canada — This year’s Canadian rye harvest appears positioned to carry on the crop’s recent trend with another production decline. Dry conditions in many regions of the Prairies and ergot in Manitoba are expected to drive down yields. Jonathan Hull of The Scoular Co. said he has been hearing from farmers that yields could […] Read more
The first three years of the study were done on lambs and cattle are next, if funding is approved.
Features

Ergot contamination more complex than first imagined

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The process of converting ergot-contaminated grain into feed pellets may decrease its toxicity, contrary to popular belief, according to a recent Alberta Agriculture study. However, the concentration as well as the types of ergot alkaloids present affects its toxicity to livestock, raising more questions about this harmful fungus. “The impact of the ergot is going […] Read more

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