Poisonous plants on dairy farms of the Caparaó microregion, Espírito Santo State, Brazil.

Abstract

In the Caparaó microregion (Espírito Santo, Brazil), cases of poisoning of dairy cattle by plants have been frequent, but there are no records to estimate the losses. This chapter presents the results of a study aiming to estimate the occurrence of different plant species causing poisonings in the region. Fifty-one dairy cattle farms were visited from March 2007 to April 2008. The results showed that the farmers of the Caparaó microregion do not know the toxicity of the plants found in the region. Nevertheless, 10 of the 14 species of plants identified on the dairy farms have been reported as toxic. The plant responsible for the highest incidence of poisoning in the region was Pteridium arachnoideum. Great damage to animal health and economic losses to farmers are caused by this plant.