Fungicide
CHIEF® FUNGICIDE
Your broad spectrum fungicide in fruit, vegetable and cereal crops. CHIEF is proven to reduce toxic spore counts to protect sheep and cattle from Facial Eczema.
What is Facial Eczema (F.E)
- Facial Eczema is caused by ingestion of microscopic, toxic spores from Pithomyces chartarum fungus, which grows in the base of pasture swards
- The toxin sporidesmin damages liver and bile ducts in sheep and cattle
- Malfunctioning causes build up of unwanted toxins (phylloerythrin), which leads sensitivity to sunlight, poor growth rates, skin symptoms, and reduced milk production
Symptom and Effects
- Symptoms will occur approximately 10 days following spore ingestion.
- Sub-clinical effects can reduce milk production by up to 50%
- Affects lambing – up to 12% more barren ewes; decrease in ewes carrying multiple lambs; increase death rates and lower productivity in ewes in subsequent lambs (up to 25% in a lifetime)
- Stock seek shade and can be restless at milking
- Physical skin symptoms showing up on the face and ears of sheep and udder and breech of cattle