Pasture Management to Reduce the Risk of Acer pseudoplatanus Poisoning While Preserving Ecological Sustainability

Abstract

In spring, grazing equids may suffer from a severe rhabdomyolysis syndrome named atypical myopathy. This environmental intoxication results from ingestion of toxins contained in Acer pseudoplatanus seedlings. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of herbicide spraying and mowing to reduce the toxic pressure of sycamore seedlings. In a first experiment, the efficacy of three herbicides to eradicate seedlings was compared to mowing. In a second experiment, the influence of the mowing timing on pasture productivity was determined. In both experiments, sycamore seedling counting, grass height and botanical composition were determined. In experiment 2, the final harvest biomass and its nutritional value were also determined. Herbicides and mowing both reduced the number of seedlings, which nevertheless disappear naturally over time without intervention (i.e., in control areas). As opposed to mowing, herbicide spraying altered the composition of the pasture flora. Both sprayed and mowed seedlings remain toxic until full decomposition. Early mowing (i.e., early April) did not affect the harvest yield. Late mowing (i.e., end of April) reduced the harvest yield but its nutritional value fitted the horses’ need. In conclusion, mowing is the best strategy to reduce the risk of Acer pseudoplatanus poisoning in grazing equids while preserving ecological sustainability and nutritional value of pastures.

Detection of Hypoglycin A and MCPrG Metabolites in the Milk and Urine of Pasture Dairy Cows after Intake of Sycamore Seedlings

“…40 Since the seedlings were not selected but always eaten along grasses and forbs, we observed their ingestion as a byproduct of grazing. Ghislain et al 41 reported that 78−86% of seedlings disappear naturally on a pasture within three to four weeks. Nevertheless, as there is not only a direct proof of consumption on the field level by various distinct field methods but also on the chemical level as metabolites of HGA and MCPrG are further detected in urine and milk samples, the decrease in seedlings in experimental plots likely goes back to ingestion by the cows.…”