Fungus-fraught P.E.I also gets clean bill of health
Potato wart survey comes back clean
Fungus-fraught P.E.I also gets clean bill of health
Egypt returns to zero tolerance of ergot in wheat
Abu Dhabi/Cairo | Reuters — Egypt has rejected two shipments of wheat for containing trace levels of the ergot fungus, backtracking on a government pledge to apply international standards and alarming traders looking to do business with the world’s largest buyer of the grain. Earlier this year traders boycotted state wheat tenders after the country’s […] Read more
Majestic trees threatened by Dutch elm disease
Here are tips for spotting this devastating disease and preventing its spread
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Dutch Elm Disease Awareness Week concluded on June 28. “American elms are planted extensively in Alberta and throughout the years have become the tree of choice for the Prairies with good reason,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED) executive director. “These giants with their height and broad vase-shaped […] Read more
Were those frozen ears and sore feet caused by a cold winter?
Ergot-contaminated feed is causing a wide range of easily misdiagnosed herd health problems in Western Canada
Reading Time: 4 minutes Long, brutally cold Prairie winters could be masking signs of a serious toxin lurking in livestock producers’ feed bins, a University of Calgary veterinary professor warned feed and livestock industry officials recently. Dr. Eugene Janzen, assistant dean of clinical practice, said he was initially perplexed in the winter of 2013 when he observed Alberta feedlot […] Read more
Ergot becomes invisible in manufactured feed
Researchers and feed makers say new guidelines for assessing risk are needed
Reading Time: 2 minutes The two pictures of pelleted feed veterinary toxicologist Dr. Barry Blakley put up on the screen at a recent ergot symposium here looked identical. But one had enough toxins in it to kill livestock. The rising levels of ergot in western Canadian cereal grains and forages has turned into a nightmare for the manufactured feed […] Read more
Be on the lookout for Dutch elm disease
Owners urged to water healthy trees well from April to mid-August
Reading Time: 2 minutes Albertans are being asked to be on the lookout for Dutch elm disease. “At present, Alberta has the largest DED-free American elm stand in the world, and it is important to protect this valuable resource,” says Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director, Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). “STOPDED is asking for everyone’s assistance to save […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
