Whether your crops get hit with drought or hail, challenging weather during the growing season increases the potential for feed contaminants such nitrates or molds which cause mycotoxins. This article from South Dakota State University focuses on mycotoxins and how to manage them.

One plant disease to keep a lookout for when harvesting grains and grasses for animal and human consumption is ergot, which generates toxic alkaloids that could potentially create problems with livestock feeding and when trying to market a small grain crop. The Crop Protection Network shares some of the commonly asked questions pertaining to ergot.

A fungal disease, ergot develops in wheat head and can contaminate grain leading to rejection or dockage at grain elevators, says South Dakota State University Extension.

The majority of the 2014 wheat crop was very good, but ergot was a widespread problem. Many of the ergot-infested fields seemed to be those that matured later than most, such as some of the spring wheat, later-planted and later-maturing winter wheat varieties, and fields with thin stands. In at least one field of winter wheat, many of the heads containing ergot bodies were late tillers.