A survey of the selenium status of cattle in the south east of South Australia.

Abstract

Proc. Aust. Soc. Anim. Prod. Vol. 18 A SURVEY OF THE SELENIUM STATUS OF CATTLE SOUTH AUSTRALIA SOUTH EAST OF J.D. McFARLANE * and G.J. JUDSON** Blood samples collected for the National Brucellosis Eradication Scheme were used to survey the selenium (Se) status of cattle (beef and dairy) in the South Between March 1982 and February 1985, 1132 blood East of South Australia. Each samples were taken from herds from 828 properties and analysed for Se. sample was pooled from blood of 8-10 cows or heifers and the Se concentrations of the pooled samples mapped according to their geographic origin and related to soil type and rainfall. Herds with low `blood Se concentrations (< 0.5 umol/l) were located on the neutral-acid sandy soils of the South East where average rainfall was greater Low concentrations also occurred in herds from the than 55Omm (Fig 1). volcanic soils around Mt. Gambier and from the neutral to alkaline sands near Robe. 40% of the 1132 samples had Se concentrations < O.Sumol/l. No low blood Se concentrations were found in herds from the lower rainfall area east of the Naracoorte-Keith-Coonalpyn main road. High blood Se concentrations (up to 4.5 umol/l) were found in herds from the ground water rendzinas (black clay flats) (Blackburn 1959, 1964). Fig. 1. Location of low blood Se concentrations from cattle in the South East of South Australia. The hatching indicated areas from which blood Se concentrations were ~0.5 umol/l. The bold lines are County boundaries and the broken lines are Numbers l-5 Hundred boundaries. towns show the location of mentionedsin the text: BLACKBURN,G. (1959) 'Soils and Land Use Series No. 33'. (CSIRO: Australia). BIJKKBURN, G. (1964) 'Soils and Land Use Series No. 45'. (CSIRO: Australia). * ** Department of Agriculture, Box 618, Naracoorte, S.A. 5271. Central Veterinary Laboratories, Department of Agriculture, IMPS Building, Frame Road, Adelaide, S.A. 5000. 524