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Soil-Climate-Plant Relationships in the Etiology of Grass Tetany (Chapter 6)

Mayland, H.F. and Grunes, D.L. (1979) Soil-Climate-Plant Relationships in the Etiology of Grass Tetany (Chapter 6). In: Grass Tetany. ASA Special Publication, No. 35. pp. 123-175.

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Abstract

Hypomagnesemia is a metabolic disorder of ruminants not receiving
adequate utilizable magnesium, either because of low Mg concentration
in the forage or because of complicating factors affecting Mg availability.
The disorder is more likely to affect cattle than sheep or goats and generally
affects older, lactating animals. Magnesium deficiency may result in
decreased milk or beef production (Grunes & Mayland, 1975; Grunes et
al., 1970). An intensified hypomagnesemia, known as grass tetany, has
caused a large number of cattle deaths in the temperate regions of the
United States and other countries, resulting in losses of up to 3% in dairy
or beef herds in a bad year (Baker & Gould, 1976; Grunes et al., 1970;
Mansfield et al., 1975; Molloy, 1971). In some individual herds in some
years losses have been even higher. Reid et al. (1978a) estimated annual
losses in the United States at 1 to 2% of mature grazing animals. The
severity of the problem is quite sporadic.
Many factors affect Mg uptake by plants and its subsequent availability
to animals. It is our objective to discuss the soil, climate, and plant
factors that may ultimately affect Mg intake and availability to
ruminants.

Item Type: Book Section
NWISRL Publication Number: 0427
Subjects: Irrigated crops > Grass forage > Chemistry
Soil > Chemistry > Selenium
Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User: Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2010 21:55
Last Modified: 31 Jan 2017 20:52
Item ID: 759
URI: https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/759