“Using these crops for forage is very risky,” Berti told DTN. “The main risk is nitrate poisoning as it is very high in wheat, barley, corn and oats.”
Nitrate toxicity is the most common toxicity seen in cattle fed drought-affected crops, she said. Nitrates are not typically a problem on rangeland or pastures, but are common in grain crops, especially if high rates of nitrogen fertilizer were applied.