A new book addresses every aspect of naturally occurring toxins in pasture grasses ¬– a huge problem for livestock producers.

Neophytodium in Cool-Season Grasses was co-edited by Craig Roberts and Don Spiers, agronomist and animal scientist, respectively, at the University of Missouri, and University of Arkansas forage physiologist Chuck West.

Neophytodium is the Latin word for the endophyte in tall fescue. Although it makes the grass more resistant to drought and other stresses, the most common strain dramatically reduces animal weight gains.

“It's been estimated that in the U.S., the annual loss to cattle producers alone is $600 million,” says Spiers. “The magnitude of the fescue toxicosis problem is huge. It’s very impor-tant to have the latest information on how to address the problem, and this book represents all the authors worldwide who are doing the top work.”

“Basically, this is an international book,” adds Roberts. “It includes contributions from just about every kind of agricultural scientist you can imagine: veterinary toxicology, molecu-lar biology, entomology, plant pathology, biochemistry – and of course agronomy and animal science.”

For more information or to order the book, log onto store.blackwell-professional.com/0813801893.html.