Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:17:13.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3.1 Soil-Plant-Animal Interactions in Relation to the Incidence of Trace Element Disorders in Grazing Livestock

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

I. Thornton*
Affiliation:
Applied Geochemistry Research Group (AGRG), Imperial College, London
Get access

Extract

The soil and its parent materials are the primary sources of trace elements on which soil-plant-animal relationships are built. It is important to recognize, however, that anthropogenic inputs of trace elements, in particular heavy metals from industrial and urban sources, may add to and at times exceed those from natural geological sources. Both deficiencies and excesses of trace elements can result in serious nutritional or toxicological disorders, while less severe imbalances may result in sub-clinical effects and, possibly, in production and fertility problems. Where obvious visual symptoms are absent, sub-clinical effects are frequently not recognized, although the areas affected are thought to be large and there are obvious economic implications. This paper examines the influence of soil and geological factors on trace element disorders in livestock, including interactions between natural and man-made sources of trace elements, and illustrates the applications of regional geochemical maps in predicting areas in which disorders are likely to be found.

Type
3. Predicting Trace Element Disorders
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alloway, B. J. 1973. Copper and molybdenum in swayback pastures. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 80: 521524.Google Scholar
Anderson, P. H., Berrett, S. and Patterson, D. S. P. 1979. The biological selenium status of livestock in Britain as indicated by sheep erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity. Vet. Rec. 104: 235238.Google Scholar
Archer, F. C. 1971. Factors affecting the trace element content of pastures. In Trace Elements in Soils and Crops, Min. Agr. Fish. Food Tech. Bull. 21, 150157.Google Scholar
Cannon, H. L., Connally, G. G., Epstein, J. B., Parker, J. G., Thornton, I., and Wixson, B. G. 1978. Rocks: the geologic source of most trace elements. In Geochemistry and the Environment 3: 1731.Google Scholar
Ferguson, W. S., Lewis, A. H. and Watson, S. J. 1943. The teart pastures of Somerset. I. The cause of teartness. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 33: 4451.Google Scholar
Field, A. C. and Purves, D. 1964. The intake of soil by grazing sheep. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 23: 2425.Google Scholar
Fleming, G. A. 1965. Trace elements in plants with particular reference to pasture species. Outlook in agric. 4: 270285.Google Scholar
Healy, W. B. 1968. Ingestion of soil by dairy cows. N.Z. J. agric. Res. 11: 487499.Google Scholar
Healy, W. B. 1969. The influence of soil type on ingestion of soil by grazing animals. 9th Int. Cong. Soil Sci. Trans. 3: 437445.Google Scholar
Healy, W. B. 1970. Ingested soil as a possible source of trace elements to grazing animals. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 30: 1119.Google Scholar
Healy, W. B., McCabe, W. J. and Wilson, G. F. 1970. Ingested soil as a source of micro-elements for grazing animals. N.Z. J. agric. Res. 13: 505521.Google Scholar
Institute of Geological Sciences. 1978a, 1978b, 1979, 1980, 1981. Geochemical Atlases of Great Britain. Inst. Geol. Sci. London.Google Scholar
Jarvis, S. C., Jones, L. H. P. and Hopper, M. J. 1976. Cadmium uptake from solution by plants and its transport from roots to shoots. Pl. Soil 44:179191.Google Scholar
Leech, A., Thornton, I., Howarth, R. J. and Lewis, Gwyneth. 1983. The incidence of bovine hypocupraemia in England and Wales and its relationship with geochemistry. In Trace Elements in Animal Production and Veterinary Practice, (ed. Suttle, N. F., Gunn, R. G., Allen, W. M., Linklater, K. A. and Weiner, G.), Occ. Pubi. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. No. 7.Google Scholar
Le Riche, H. H. 1959. Molybdenum in the Lower Lias of England in relation to the incidence of teart. J. Soil. Sci. 10: 133.Google Scholar
Lewis, A. H. 1943. The teart pastures of Somerset. II. The relation between soil and teartness. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 33: 5257.Google Scholar
Matthews, H. and Thornton, I. 1982. Seasonal and species variation in the content of cadmium and associated metals in pasture plants at Shipham. Pl. Soil 66: 181193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mattigod, S. V., Sposito, G. and Page, A. L. 1981. Factors affecting the solubilities of trace metals in soils. In Chemistry in the Soil Environment. Amer. Soc. Agron., Madison, U.S.A., 203221.Google Scholar
Mills, C. F. 1979. Trace elements in animals. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. 288: 5163.Google Scholar
Mitchell, R. L. 1964. Trace elements in soils. In Chemistry of the Soil (ed. Bear, F. E.), pp. 320368. Reinhold Pub. Co., New York.Google Scholar
Mitchell, R. L. 1974. Trace element problems in Scottish soils. Neth. J. agric. Sci. 22: 295304.Google Scholar
Statham, M. and Bray, A. C. 1975. Congenital goitre in sheep in South Tasmania. Aust. J. agric. Res. 26: 751768.Google Scholar
Suttle, N. F., Alloway, B. J. and Thornton, I. 1975. An effect of soil ingestion on the utilisation of dietary copper by sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 84: 249254.Google Scholar
Suttle, N. F., Abrahams, P. W. and Thornton, I. 1982. The importance of soil type and dietary sulphur in the impairment of copper absorption in sheep which ingest soil. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 41: 83A.Google Scholar
Swaine, D. J. and Mitchell, R. L. 1960. Trace element distribution in soil profiles. J. Soil Sci. II: 347368.Google Scholar
Thomas, B., Ronsham, J. A. and Walters, E. D. 1972. Lead and cadmium content of some vegetable foodstuffs. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 23: 14931496.Google Scholar
Thomson, I., Thornton, I. and Webb, J. S. 1972. Molybdenum in black shales and the incidence of bovine hypocuprosis. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 23: 871891.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. 1974. Biogeochemical and soil ingestion studies in relation to the trace element nutrition of livestock. In Trace Element Metabolism in Animals 2 (ed. Hoeckstra, W. G. et al.), pp. 451454. University Press, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. and Abrahams, P. 1981. Soil ingestion as a pathway of metal intake into grazing livestock. In Heavy Metals in the Environment. Proceedings of International Conference, Amsterdam, 1981. pp.267272.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. and Kinniburgh, D. 1978. Intake of lead, copper and zinc by cattle from soil and pasture. In Trace Element Metabolism in Man and Animals 3 (ed. Kirchgessner, M.), p. 499. Freising.Google Scholar
Thornton, I., Kershaw, G. F. and Davies, M. K. 1972. An investigation into copper deficiency in cattle in the Southern Pennines. I. Identification of suspect areas using geochemical reconnaissance followed by blood copper surveys. II. Response to copper supplementation, J. agric. Sci., Camb. 78: 157171.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. and Plant, J. 1980. Regional geochemical mapping and health in the United Kingdom. J. Geol. Soc. London 137: 575586.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. and Webb, J. S. 1970. Geochemical reconnaissance and the detection of trace element disorders in animals. In Trace Element Metabolism in Animals (ed. Mills, C. F.), pp. 397407, Livingstone, London.Google Scholar
Thornton, I. and Webb, J. S. 1979. Geochemistry and health in the United Kingdom. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. 288: 151168.Google Scholar
Tinker, P. B. 1981. Levels, distribution and chemical forms of trace elements in food plants. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. 294: 4155.Google Scholar
Webb, J. S., Lowenstein, P. L. Howarth, R. J., NICHOL. I. and Foster, R. 1973. Provisional Geochemical Atlas of Northern Ireland. Appl. Geochem. Res. Grp Tech. Commun. No. 60.Google Scholar
Webb, J. S., Thornton, I., Howarth, R. J., Thompson, M. and Lowenstein, P. L. 1978. The Wolfson Geochemical Atlas of England and Wales. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
West, T. S. 1981. Soil as the source of trace elements. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B. 294: 1939.Google Scholar