WORLAND – Barley producers in the Big Horn Basin are reporting an increase in ergot disease this season, according to an alert sent out by the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on Monday. The fungus, which affects cereal crops and some grasses, is toxic to both humans and cattle.

Reticent to discuss the scope or volume of crops lost, MillerCoors Agronomist Dave Dougherty encourages local growers and concerned citizens to attend a special meeting on Aug. 26, at 9 a.m. at the Worland Community Center Complex to address the issue.

The meeting will also be attended by County Extension Educator Caitlin Youngquist, and University of Wyoming Department of Plant Science Professor William Stump.

“Ergot disease occurs sporadically every year in Wyoming and other High Plains states and is seldom a major problem,” said Stump. Cool, wet springs the past few years and adoption of minimum tillage systems have led to an increase in the disease in the region, he said.

Youngquist said, “This has been a very bad year for ergot in barley and some of the farmers are unable to sell their harvest. The Worland area seems to be hardest hit, although there are farmers all over the Basin affected.”

She said she has been working with Dougherty to set up next week’s grower meeting in hopes of trying to address the issue.

Grains such as barley, oats, rye, wheat and durum, and grasses such as brome, rye, foxtail and orchard grass are susceptible to the disease, caused by germinated spores from contaminated soil, produce a fungus which invades the plant and is virtually untreatable with conventional pesticides.

Once infested, the ergot creates a toxic alkaloid which can lead to ergotism in cattle and humans. This affliction is most widely recognized as the cause of the panic during the Salem Witch Trials, when contaminated rye caused hallucinations and odd behavior, leading many to believe the victims were witches.

Due to the loss of crops, which the university alert estimates can be as large as 10 percent, contaminated barley from across the Basin will not be purchased for beer or silage use, and must be destroyed.

Ergot contains toxic alkaloids that cause a livestock disease called ergotism. Human poisoning was common in Europe during the Middle Ages, caused by eating ergot-contaminated rye bread.

The ergot sclerotium, the overwintering structure of the fungus, can survive up to two years on or just below the soil surface. In the spring, under proper moisture and temperature conditions, sclerotia germinate and release spores that can infect grain heads in flower. Infected plants exude sweet, sticky honeydew that covers the immature sclerotia.

There are no recommended chemical controls, says Stump. Management of ergot disease starts with using seed that is not contaminated with sclerotia.

Stump also recommends the following controls:

—Rotate small grains with non-susceptible crops.

—Mow ditch grasses before they head if they are near susceptible fields.

—Use deep tillage to bury sclerotia more than one inch in fields with heavy ergot infestation.

—Ensure uniform stands and crop growth with good agronomic practices to avoid prolonged periods of flowering.

—Avoid excessive crop irrigation during cool weather at flowering.