Sweet Clover Poisoning: Searching for New Answers to an Old Problem
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Date
1982
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North Dakota State University
Abstract
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Sweet clover is a high yielding, nutritious forage. It is one that North Dakota cattlemen have used in considerable quantities for years. However, too much of this good thing has produced poisoning in herds costing an estimated 200 herds per year since the 1920s in North Dakota. Though this effect has been known for decades, little was known about what level/accumulation which produces toxicity. In order to gain this needed information, two researchers were hired by the North Dakota Beef Commission to discover ways of reducing poisoning via sweet clover. The ingredient that produces this toxicity is dicumarol, which is a product of the clover molding. There are other varieties of clover, which yield less and for which seed may not be readily available. Sweet clover is one of the best legumes to plow down green manure. It is drought resistant. It is used to manage variation in forage production. It is widespread throughout North Dakota.One method of controlling this toxicity effect is to treat if for molding. One can feed sweet clover in rotation with other feeds, which are being evaluated. Researchers at the North Dakota State University were providing some answers to help ranchers with this problem by new information on this issue.