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Feed often the culprit in disease cases

Producers are reminded to be careful this winter when choosing alternative or new feeds and are urged to test their feed

What could kill eight cows within 10 minutes?

That is one mystery the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s disease investigation unit faced last winter.

Dr. John Campbell, a long-time professor and head of the unit, said he had never seen a situation like that.

“It was a bunch of cows dying suddenly in a cow-calf herd where the producer got a new delivery of some flax screenings,” he said during an October Saskatchewan Agriculture webinar.

The screenings had come from a local seed grower, and Campbell said the producer fed six pails to 40 cows.

“Within five minutes it was pretty obvious something was wrong. A lot of these cows began to show clinical signs. They went down, weak in their back legs, twitching their eyelids.

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Dr. Fei Yang Discusses Corn Rootworm, European Corn Borer, and Pest Monitoring

Video: Dr. Fei Yang Discusses Corn Rootworm, European Corn Borer, and Pest Monitoring

What insect threats are Minnesota corn growers facing, and what research is helping farmers stay ahead of them?

At the 2026 MN Ag Expo, University of Minnesota entomologist Fei Yang shared updates on three Minnesota Corn-supported research projects focused on insect monitoring, seed treatments, and pest resistance.

Current work includes statewide monitoring programs that use pheromone, light, and sticky traps to track key pests such as black cutworm, true armyworm, corn earworm, European corn borer, and corn rootworm. Researchers are also evaluating whether high-rate seed treatments provide effective corn rootworm control and studying the development of resistance in European corn borer populations to Bt corn traits.

These projects help researchers better understand pest pressures across Minnesota and provide farmers with practical information to support informed management decisions.