Duane A. Lienemann,
UNL Extension Educator,
Webster County
November 9, 2012 Edition
As I write this article there is a possibility for some much needed moisture coming into our area. Let’s just pray it does! There is no doubt that we are in dire need for moisture for getting our pastures and hay-grounds ready for next year and of course the wheat that is really needing a drink to get ready for winter. I have walked through some wheat fields and there are some plants that are just holding on by the slimmest of margins. Even just a half inch would go a long ways towards helping it have a chance to making it to next spring. Right now this is eerily reminiscent of last Fall, when we just couldn’t get any moisture, and it is looking like an open Winter again. I know that sometimes I worry too much, but this is not looking good for next year. I don’t want to be an alarmist, but we might want to put on our drought goggles for next year.
Winter Drought Management Clinic: Speaking of the potential for continued drought, it may not hurt to look at attending UNL Extension's Mid-Plains BEEF Education special session on winter drought management tips for cow herds on Nov. 29 at UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead. The session will draw on the expertise of Rick Rasby, UNL Extension beef specialist, Richard Randle, DVM, UNL extension beef veterinarian, and several extension educators, to share their beef cattle expertise with participants. The program is designed for producers, veterinarians or others involved in the beef industry. This special session will deal with tips on managing the cow herd during the winter to reduce the effects of the drought. Participants will learn more about tips to manage and feed drought affected forages, stretching short forage supplies, using alternative feedstuffs, hay feeding methods and reducing feeding losses, nitrate poisoning symptoms and managing respiratory problems with dry-lot cows and calves. Time will also be allotted to visit with the speakers on an individual or small group basis. The session will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. There is a fee to attend which includes educational materials, noon meals and breaks. Registration is requested by Nov. 21. More information can be found at: http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/ianrnews/1767/9983
Black Nightshade: The corn is harvested and the cattle are either out, or are ready to graze cornstalks, and now I have been hearing stories of many fields across the region with black nightshade. That worries many livestock producers that I have talked to who are grazing these fields. It seems we are finding it mostly in fields that experienced some degree of hail damage, more in some than in others. It should be pointed out that high levels of immature black nightshade, Solanum nigrum, can be a cause for concern. While nightshade poisoning is not as common as nitrate poisoning, it still merits livestock producer awareness, with these reports of black nightshade in area cornfields. Black nightshade does contain toxic glycoalkaloids in the entire plant, with the highest concentration in the green immature berries. All kinds of animals can be poisoned after ingesting nightshade, including cattle, sheep, poultry and swine. General symptoms of poisoning in livestock include: bloat, labored breathing, depressed temperature, diarrhea, constipation, incoordination and even death.
Dr. Bruce Anderson says that it’s very difficult to determine how much black nightshade is risky. “Guidelines say that a 1,000-lb animal that eats 1-3 lbs. of fresh black nightshade is at risk of being poisoned. It is common in many corn and soybean fields as well as in new alfalfa. In stalks, a few green nightshade plants might be very tempting to a grazing animal, especially if there is little grain to select. In hay, the nightshade may be sparse through most of the field but in a few areas it could be quite thick. Animals offered hay from those thick areas could be at risk. So common sense and good observation must be your guide,” says Anderson. “If they selectively graze green plants in stalk or stubble fields, pull animals out and wait for a hard freeze before trying again. Keep track of bales from heavily infested areas. Either don’t feed these bales, or grind and mix them with other feeds to dilute the problem. If still unsure, expose only a few animals at a time to risky feed.”
While black nightshade is toxic, especially immature berries, the plant is somewhat unpalatable and an animal rarely consumes enough to cause a serious or potentially lethal poisoning. However there have been reports of death from acute exposure, likely because of overgrazing stalks. Also, chronic toxicity also has been reported, where the animal eats small amounts of plants each day. Use of good management practices will reduce nightshade poisoning risk. Some of these recommendations include: Delay grazing infested fields and pastures until after hard frost. Plants will wilt, becoming less palatable and attractive and berries will drop. If hard frost is late, plants will mature reducing toxicity; Do not over graze cornstalks or pasture, as animals will consume nightshade when other forage options are limited; Make sure livestock are full when turned into invested areas, so they will be more selective, avoiding nightshade, when they begin grazing; Avoid feeding bales taken from fields heavy with the weed; If black nightshade must be fed, make sure it is less than 15% of the diet; Keep a closer watch on livestock, knowing common nightshade symptoms, when grazing area or feeding bales which have nightshade. That may also help with concerns of nitrate poisoning; It also may be advisable to fence livestock out of areas dense with nightshade; and since horses are less tolerant than other animals, it is best that they are not fed nightshade at all. A good website for information and color photos of nightshade is at: http://www.vth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/ . Just remember – “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That applies to most things, like too much corn down in stalks, high nitrate levels, and now Black Nightshade. What other things are lurking out there? What a year!!!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home
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