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Beware Of Nitrates In Fodder And Crops

The sudden death of forty-one dairy cows fed annual ryegrass haylage in the Macalister Irrigation district, has again highlighted the risk of feeding conserved fodder or crops that may contain excessive amounts of nitrate.

By Department of Primary Industries - 28th May 2003 - Back to News

Nitrate poisoning occurs when ruminants (including cattle and sheep) eat crops or fodder with high nitrate levels. Nitrates are converted into nitrites in the rumen and then into ammonia which is belched out or detoxified by the liver. If the nitrites are not converted to ammonia rapidly enough, as can occur with a high level of nitrate intake; the nitrites may be absorbed into the bloodstream where they bond with haemoglobin in the blood. The haemoglobin loses its ability to transport oxygen and affected animals die from oxygen starvation.

Because nitrate poisoning occurs very quickly, symptoms may not be observed and animals may be found dead. If symptoms are seen, affected animals stand apart, have an unsteady gait, have rapid and shallow breathing and eventually collapse. The whites of the eyes and membranes in the vagina, mouth and nostrils will appear initially bluish in colour and then muddy brown. Following exposure to abnormal nitrates or nitrites, a cow may abort a foetus that died because of oxygen starvation.

Death usually occurs so suddenly that treatment is not possible. If cattle are observed in time intravenous administration of methylene blue can save cattle.

Plants containing more than 1.5 % nitrate are dangerous. Nitrate concentration in forages increases greatly during drought conditions. Other conditions frequently associated with losses are cool temperatures, cloudy days and heavy or recent applications of nitrate fertilisers. Some plant species are more likely to accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrate. These include forage crops such as millet, corn, rape, sudan, oats weeds such as cape weed and some pasture species.

Management practices can reduce and prevent losses from nitrate poisoning. Awareness of high-risk pastures or crops in these drought conditions is important. High risk pastures or crops can be measured for nitrate levels via laboratory analysis or quick paddock side nitrate test strips. These strips can give an indication of nitrate levels in plants but your pasture sample must accurately reflect what the cows are eating. Cattle grazing a high risk crop should be observed carefully and quietly removed at the fist sign of toxicity.

For further information contact your local veterinarian or Department of Primary Industries office.

APPLY NOW FOR DROUGHT FARM BUSINESS SUPPORT

Time is running out for farmers in the Wellington and East Gippsland Shires to apply for drought aid from the State Government.

The 20^th June 2003, is the closing date for applications for Farm Business Support Grants, following the State Government’s drought declaration of the Wellington and East Gippsland Shires.

Essentially assistance is for farmers who would normally be considered profitable in the long term, but due to the un-seasonal dry conditions are in financial difficulty and in need of assistance to recover.

Support Grants are available to assist viable farmers, share farmers and their families in the nominated areas where a farmer can demonstrate an adverse turnaround in income, or expenditure, or both of 33% relative to budgeted gross income, due to dry seasonal conditions, which results in a projected loss for 2002/03.

The assistance will be determined on an individual basis and made as a grant up to 33% of the anticipated loss to a maximum of $20,000 per farming enterprise.

The Farm Business Support Package is administered by the Rural Finance Corporation of Victoria. Farmers seeking assistance should contact Rural Finance on 51 761 761 or visit the website www.rurafinance.com.au to obtain an application form and further information on the scheme. Forms are also available from DPI offices in Maffra, Yarram, Bairnsdale (Calvert St), Swifts Creek and Orbost.

MANAGING MOULDS IN VINEYARDS

At the Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Sunraysia Horticultural Centre, Irymple, researchers are developing strategies to manage the moulds that can affect grapes in vineyards.

Grape berries can be infected by several species of black Aspergillus moulds with infection often occurring through cracks or splits in the skins of berries which have been damaged by rain.

A member of the research team, Dr Benozir Kazi, said that one of the first steps towards management was to survey vineyards and find the major sources of black Aspergillus moulds. "We found that Aspergillus carbonarius, for example, was a common species, most often found in soil," he said. "However, the incidence varied between vineyards and seasons."

Dr Kazi said that the team had looked at the behaviour of the mould and, in particular, how spores survived and moved about in relation to irrigation and weather conditions. "This mould is common in vineyard soils and can spend long periods there before a change in environment, such as wind or rain, allows it to spread upwards to bunches," he said. "It can survive in dry soils at temperatures between 5ºC and 50ºC."

Based on knowledge of the behaviour of A. carbonarius, field management options for this fungus are being trialed. Dr Kazi said that some of the techniques tried so far, such as using vine covers just before harvest, did not reduce the presence of mould spores on grapes. However, more promising options included the reduction of mould sources in the vineyard by irrigation at critical periods of vine development. Research is being conducted to identify when these critical periods for irrigation occur.

Dr Kazi said that there is currently no fungicide suitable for controlling these moulds. The use of varieties that are more resistant to splitting and infection by A. carbonarius should be part of an integrated mould management strategy.

FARMBIS HELPS DROUGHT MANAGEMENT

A FarmBis subsidised course has helped a group of beef farmers in South and West Gippsland face the drought head on. A combination of group dynamics, and simply sitting down and doing the figures together has meant that the farmers are weathering this drought more effectively and will be much better equipped to cope with the next one.

In ‘Planning For Future Droughts,’ the group looked at the impact of the drought on their physical, financial and human resources. In order to do that they used three case studies of badly affected properties. What can be gained at looking at a drought situation at this stage (hopefully very close to the end)? According to Max Grenda, one of the participants who farms with his wife, Dellas, at Lang Lang, the timing for the course was perfect.

"You need to reflect back on what you did and why you did it while the drought situation is still fresh in your mind. It would be easy to put it at the back of your mind but I think we need to learn from our actions so that next time we can respond more effectively. We looked at why people made the decisions they made leading into the drought and what people would do differently now."

So what did Max and Dellas Grenda gain from the course. According to Dellas, "It made you realise what steps you would take earlier and the need for greater flexibility. Many of the farms did not have any stock they could sell off when they needed to. I think we would have a mob of steers that we could sell when the going got tough instead of waiting for the calves to be old enough to wean."

Feed budgeting has come into it’s own for many farmers during the drought, enabling them to match their stock requirements with available feed and if necessary source the right feed that bridges the gap. For Dellas and Max, the feed budgeting exercise that was part of the FarmBis course was quite an eye opener. According to Max, "We had always been led to believe that grain was not economical for beef farmers but when we did the costing alongside the energy, grain comes out very well. We could buy hay at $140 a bale which worked out at

10c a MJ. Grain was going to cost us $385 t which costed out at 3.5c MJ. So you can see that there is definitely a place for grain on a beef farm."

As a result of this feed budget the Grenda’s extended their feed with a mix of grain and hay. "Many of the group went out and bought grain as a result of that course exercise and that has pulled us through."

The FarmBis assisted course involved 12 farms, all members of the one Beefcheque group, across the Cardinia, Casey and Baw Baw shires. According to FarmBis Co-ordinator in Gippsland, Glenn Digby, "FarmBis subsides group or individual training for farmers in order to improve their business and natural resource management."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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