Practical 5 - drainage plots nad FEC/spore counts

Question 1

What are the units used to measure nitrogen leaching?

Answer 1

kg/N/ha/yr

Question 2

what causes facial eczema

Answer 2

toxin (sporidesmin) produced by the spores of the fungus Pithomyces chartarum growing on pasture. The fungus grows in the dead litter at the base of pasture in warm moist conditions.
Sporidesmin, when ingested by sheep and cattle, damages the liver and bile ducts.

Question 3

what do spores look like

Answer 3

little hand grenades

Question 4

how do you calculate spore count?

Answer 4

multiply total number of spores per row by 5,000 to give the number of spores per gram of pasture. Then average if needed

Question 5

what is considered high FEC count for sheep - enough to require treatment

Answer 5

500 eggs per gram

Question 6

when are larval numbers the highest

Answer 6

in late spring and autumn - wet conditions

Question 7

how do you calculate FEC

Answer 7

add up numbers found in chambers then x50 = eggs per gram

Question 8

What causes ryegrass staggers?

Answer 8

an endophyte fungus

Question 9

Which of the following spore counts, (spores per gram of pasture), would be considered as being a moderate risk level for facial eczema?

Answer 9

40,000

Question 10

Facial eczema is often recognised due to the inflammation and sun sensitivity observed in an animal’s skin. What internal organ is also damaged due to consumption of the toxin produced by the spores of Pithomyces chartarum?

Answer 10

liver