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Posted 25 July 2011. Forage and Grazinglands. Rattlesnake Weed Set to Strike Source: University of Arkansas Press Release. www.uaex.edu Bentonville, Arkansas (July 22, 2011)--It was August of the 2010 summer drought in Benton County when the year’s first cattle losses occurred as a result of rattlesnake weed. A few more deaths soon followed, prompting numerous conversations about this seemingly annual event. In Tennessee, this plant has been reported as the cause of more cattle deaths than any other toxic plant.
Also referred to as perilla mint, or beefsteak plant, most livestock producers know it as purple mint or simply mint weed. A member of the square-stemmed mint family, that trait, in addition to its strong mint fragrance, makes it easy to identify even when growing in the thick of other assorted weeds. In the Ozarks, mint weeds are like rocks, meaning they are easily found on most farms. Its rattlesnake name comes from the sound the seeds make when rattling around the dry seed head. It surprises some producers to learn that mint isn’t hard to kill with herbicides. The ideal growth habitat is along creek beds, in wooded pastures and around barns, corrals and holding pens. These out-of-the-way areas see very little, if any early season activity from a spray rig, which helps mint to escape control, even on the best managed farms. Obviously drought tolerant, plant selections from the mint family were introduced into this country as ornamentals because of the deep purple foliage, fragrance and traits soothing to the eye. There seems to be a pattern of ornamental plant introductions that prove to toxic or otherwise problematic to livestock producers. After observing mature cattle die from mint induced respiratory failure, it’s difficult to imagine this plant as an ancient and present culinary favorite in Asian countries. In addition mint plants are reported to have medicinal uses. As a bare-foot youngster many decades ago, my Appalachian, home-remedy trained grandmother treated my thorn-punctured foot with mint leaves, which brought welcome relief. Back to livestock, mint is a persistent, very seed-productive weed that emerges each April. Its presence offers opportunities for livestock to come in contact with mint throughout the grazing season, but fortunately, they simply don’t like the stuff! So why is mint a routine summer drought problem? Droughts, as currently being experienced, create a loss of forage availability, which initiates the problem. An abundance of ungrazed mint foliage and the development of its flower, considered to pack the highest risk of toxin, two pieces of the puzzle are present. Animals have a daily dry matter requirement, which they try to satisfy from available forage. Although they dislike mint, when preferred forages aren’t available, grazing animals will eat it, completing the puzzle. Even if forage is considered to be plentiful, to reduce this risk check pastures for the presence of mint and try to get it clipped. Herbicide applications at this time may not be a good option since treated weeds often become more palatable to animals. But that’s another story for another week. For more information on livestock production, visit www.uaex.edu,or contact your county extension office. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact: |
