Spring! Pastures and hayfields are greening up. Lush stands of grass push skyward after a nice rain. A few seed heads start to develop and our noses get ready for that smell of the first cutting of hay. But wait . . . upon closer inspection, “oh no, ergot [ur-guht]!”
Ergot is a fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that contaminates rye and wheat and produces substances called ergotamines. The alkaloid toxin in ergot-infected grasses is chemically related to the psychedelic drug lysergic acid diethylamide.
Ergot fungal bodies look like rodent droppings and can develop and seemingly replace seeds on the seedhead of grasses. They can be found on cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and in winter cereal crops, especially rye.
Source: Hay and Forage, May 16, 2023. Link.
Ergotism is like fescue toxicosis on steroids . . . the clinical signs of hoof and tail switch sloughing during the late spring and summer are generally indicative of ergot.” – Tim Evans, DVM
INSIGHTS: Veterinarians and representatives serving producers can observe grasses as they drive across the countryside. Ergot sclerotia may show up in road ditches before it is discovered in a field.
Small acreage farmers keeping a few cows, goats and a couple horses may not know about the dangers of ergot poisoning on their farms or in hay they might purchase. Consider this article for social media, in newsletters and for FFA and 4-H groups. Ergotism would also make a great topic for coffee stops and local watering holes that producers frequent.
Also see:
- Ergot: The psychoactive fungus that changed history, USDA, U.S. Forest Service. Link.
- Has ergot altered events in world history? University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Link.
Ergot is one of the few plant diseases that can also cause direct damage to humans.”