-5- 



No specific toxic effects have been attributed to Giberella- infected corn fed to 

 ruminants or poultry. 



Alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA) disease was rampant in certain parts of Russia, par- 

 ticularly during World War Two. The disease was most often associated with people 

 forced to scavenge old grains (wheat, corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, and millet) that 

 had overwintered in the field. 



F-2 (zearalenone) , the toxin that produces the estrogenic syndrome in swine, is pro- 

 duced by Gibberella zeae in stored corn, especially corn stored in open cribs. Al- 

 ternating low to moderate temperatures are necessary for toxin production. F-2 is 

 also produced by Fusarium moniliforme , a common invader of corn ears and stalks. 



The best way to avoid possible toxin problems is to plant ear and stalk rot-resistant 

 varieties and to store the grain properly after harvest. 



The FDA has chemical tests and gas chromatogram equipment to verify the presence of 

 any mycotoxin contamination. Present information does not indicate a severe problem 

 as a result of moldy corn. 



The Corn Disease Compendium , edited by UI Extension Plant Pathologist Malcolm Shurtleff 

 and published by the American Phytopathological Society, contains the first worldwide 

 compilation of the parasitic (infectious) and nonparasitic diseases of corn. The pri- 

 mary purpose of the Compendium is to provide a reference for agriculturalists who do 

 plant pathological work in the field or in a diagnostic laboratory. The publication 

 should prove valuable to anyone interested in corn diseases . 



The book contains 100 pages of data and is illustrated by 100 color and black-and-white 

 photographs, plus 30 artist's drawings of detailed microscopic structures of more than 

 50 fungi that cause leaf, stalk, root, and ear infections. 



Order from: The American Phytopathological Society 

 3340 Pilot Knob Road 

 St. Paul, Minnesota 55121 



One to 9 copies. . .$2 (single copies $3 after May 1) 



10 to 49 copies . . 1.75 



50 to 99 copies . . 1.50 



100 and over .... 1.25 



ALFALFA DISEASES 



Root and crown troubles of alfalfa may have several causes. But most problems result 

 from winter injury and from root and crown rots caused by common soil-borne fungi. The 

 fungi weaken plants and can substantially reduce the longevity of the stand, the yield, 

 and the quality of the hay produced. 



Alfalfa plants in fields that have low fertility, poor drainage, and a high water table 

 are usually the first to be attacked. Damage is often severe on plants that have suf- 

 fered winter injury. 



Frost injury may kill the tops of alfalfa plants after growth begins in the early spring. 

 Ice crystals formed within the tissue kill the leaves, which become light tan. 



Heaving is caused by alternate freezing and thawing of the soil. The heaving action can 

 break and tear the roots or' crowns of alfalfa plants, providing ready access for patho- 

 genic organisms. 



