Abstract

A number of mycotoxicoses including facial eczema, ryegrass staggers, paspalum staggers and zearalenone infertility affect grazing livestock, causing death and reducing productivity. While production losses associated with clinical disease are well recognised, losses associated with subclinical disease are not recognised and most farmers take few or no precautions against the diseases and consequently accept lower productivity levels as `normal`. For most mycotoxicoses there are no antidotes. Long-term research projects, some lasting decades, have led to the development of a number of control measures for particular diseases, especially facial eczema and ryegrass staggers. These measures depend primarily on identifying and avoiding toxic pastures, or reducing their impact. Under the current funding regimes, where funders seek quick returns, it is unlikely that many of these now widely used control methods would have come to fruition.

NR, Towers

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 66, Napier, 300-306, 2006