From bluestem@webserf.net Tue Mar 14 10:35:34 2000 Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 14:38:06 From: Bluestem Associates To: "sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu" Subject: Seaweed produces healthier livestock On Tue, 14 Mar 2000 07:32:19 -0600, mmiller@pcsia.com wrote: >Does anyone know if there is a more complete explanation of this available? > Is it the mirconurtrients in the seaweed or some chemical produced by the >seaweed? Mike Miller Certainly direct feeding kelp meal provides some extra minerals, especially when the soil system producing the forage tends to be depleted in minerals, as is usually the case with Ultisols in the US South. In the last half century we have discovered a *dozen* micronutrients to be essential in animal nutrition --- molybdenum, selenium, and chromium in the 1950s; nickel in the 1960s'; fluorine, tin, vanadium, silicon, arsenic, cadmium, and lead in the 1970s, and boron in the 1990s. Do you think there might be a few more we don't know about ? Scandium and rubidium are two possibilities... As for the liquid seaweed, while it could be the micronutrients themselves, the amounts involved (typically 2 pts/ac, or 2 L/ha) really don't bring that many nutrients into the system. In that case, the addition of exogenous plant growth regulators from the kelp may well affect the nutrient uptake efficiency of the forage. Remember, too, that the quantities needed by the critter are pretty small. I would furthermore add here that bringing *soluble* calcium into the system (kiln dust, etc, if it's clean) will also help with overall mineral uptake. In this study most (if not all) the liquid seaweed used was the Stimplex brand from Acadian Sea Plants in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia --- 902-468-2840. I don't know whether or not the kelp meal was also an Acadian product. Stimplex is registered for use in a number of US states, though you would have to check with the company to determine which ones. Bart To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail From LNGTN-MJ@acaleph.vista.ac.za Wed Mar 15 08:52:23 2000 Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 08:55:26 +0200 From: MJ Linington To: sanet-mg@cals.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: sanet-mg-digest V1 #1677 Hi, Snip... fLUORINE,Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead are essential micronutrients???? ?????? Snip.. I suggest you refer to any good animal nutrition book (eg Macdonald et al Animal Nutrition). A micronutrient is a nutrient that is essential to the body, but it is usually required in such minute quantities or are so widely distributed in foods that deficiencies are occur rarely. Most of them are very toxic if overconsumed. However, they are still essential. (A silly analogy could be water essential too life, but too much could cause death by drowning). Flourine was added to the list of essential elements in 1972 when it was shown that the growth rate of rats improved when small amounts were added to a low flourine diet (This is a standard method for testing since nutrition studies began in the early part of last century). However it is a very toxic element as well. Arsenic is widely distributed throughout the body especially in skin, nail and hair. It has been shown to be essential for the rat, chick, pig and goat. It is needed to form metabolites of methionine including cystine (an amino acid in hair etc). Also extremely toxic. The essentiality of Cadmium and lead are controversial, but it is likely that the are essesntial in minute quantities. They are better known however for their toxic qualities. In summary the overall function of the microelements is that they are responsible for enzymatic function as catalysts and co-enzymes. As such they are essential. However, I must repeat that the likelihood of defiencies is extremely low and ocurrences extremely rare Hope this clears the mud Regards Dr MJ Linington HEAD:Department Agricultural Sciences email:lngtn-mj@acaleph.vista.ac.za Snail Mail: Dept. Agricultural Sciences VUDEC, Vista University P/Bag X641, Pretoria, 0001 Tel: 012 322 1303 Fax: 012 322 3243 cell:083 637 0182 To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command "unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest". To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command "subscribe sanet-mg-digest". All messages to sanet-mg are archived at: http://www.sare.org/san/htdocs/hypermail