Potential Negative Effect of Phytoestrogen on Reproduction in Grazing Beef Cattle
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Douglas Landblom
DREC Beef Cattle and Integrated Systems Specialist
Dickinson Research Extension Center
Office: 701-456-1109; Mobil: 701-690-8245
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Phytoestrogen or more appropriately described, estrogenic compounds found across a wide array of plant species, that are biologically active and have chemical structures similar to estrogen (17β-estradiol) found in mammalian species. There are several phytoestrogen chemical groups and are not the same in various types of legume crops and wild species growing in native pastures. Products derived from soybean are high in isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycitein, and formononetin), flavones (luteolin), flaxseed (lignans), clovers (coumestrol), and in red wine (resveratrol).
Interestingly, phytoestrogen consumption can have both positive and negative effects in humans and animals depending on the concentration of supplements or pasture plants consumed. The positive antioxidant potential in humans may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, slow the progression of atherosclerosis, and help reduce several symptoms experienced by postmenopausal women. On the other hand, phytoestrogen consumption by cattle and sheep can have a negative impact on fertility, because plant derived phytoestrogen can have a direct effect on the central nervous system, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus. Scientists suggest that the phytoestrogen coumestrol found in clover species may interfere with the estradiol feedback process and the pulsating release of luteinizing hormone (LH) in ovariectomized ewes.
Yellow blossom sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) is a biennial legume that grows vegetatively the first year and flourishes with yellow flowers seemingly everywhere on alternate years and then dies. Although the name implies that the plant is a clover, the plant actually is more closely related to alfalfa. A survey of pastures in western North Dakota reveals large acreages of pasture with heavy sweetclover growth. Combining the large quantity of sweetclover in pastures with the current beef cattle breeding season and a scenario for potential reproductive infertility among beef cattle and sheep exists. Anecdotally, veterinarians conducting beef cattle fall pregnancy testing have found a higher-than-normal number of nonpregnant cows that grazed in pastures high in sweetclover during the spring and summer breeding season. There are numerous factors that can affect the quantity of coumestrol in sweetclover to include but not limited to drought, adequate precipitation and excessive growth, quantity of sweetclover in a given pasture and the number of cows and calves grazing in the pasture. Cattle readily graze sweetclover; therefore, beef producers are advised to consider grazing areas where sweetclover is not as prevalent and reserve grazing of the sweetclover infested pastures for late-fall and winter grazing. Obviously, this may not be possible. However, introducing a large number of animals and mob grazing the pasture is one way to dilute the amount of coumestrol per cow-calf pair to safe levels.
Dickinson Research Extension Center 2023 Field Days
July 12 DREC Manning Ranch Field Day: 9 am - 12 pm MDT.
Location: From Hwy 22, go west 5.2 miles on 15th St SW, to Section 19.
- Nitrogen cycle in rangeland
- Dr. Llewellyn Manske, DREC Scientist of Rangeland Research
- Heifer development/finishing
- Doug Landblom, DREC Associate Research Extension Center Specialist
- March versus May calving systems
- Dr. Zach Carlson, NDSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist
- Interplay of cow size in the production system
- Dr. Lauren Hanna, NDSU Associate Professor
- Fertilizer impacts on forage nitrates
- Ria McLaughlin, NRM Master Student
- 701x/Precision Cattle Tags/Cattle Monitoring
- Max Cossette, NDSU graduate student in agricultural economics
- Lunch will be provided after the tour.
July 13, the DREC Horticulture Tour will be from 9 am – 12 pm MDT
Field day topics and presenters for the horticulture tour are:
- Emerald Ash borer
- Blake Johnson, City of Dickinson Forester
- Tree predation and other arbor issues
- Dr. Joe Zeleznik, NDSU Extension Specialist-NRM
- Garden update
- Dr. Tom Kalb
- Pollinator garden
- Dr. Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension Entomologist
- Trouble shooting compost and garden soil fertility management
- Dr. Chris Augustin, NDSU soil scientist and DREC director
Lunch will be provided after the tour.
July 13, the DREC Agronomy Tour will be from 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm MDT
Presenters and topics for the agronomy tour are:
- Fertilizer impacts on forage nitrates
- Ria McLaughlin, NRM Master Student
- Soybean breeding in western ND
- Dr. Carrie Miranda, NDSU Assistant Professor and Soybean Breeder
- Soybean phosphorus
- Dr. Lindsay Malone, NDSU Assistant Professor, Climate Smart Approaches in Ag
- Palmer Amaranth
- Dr. Joe Ilkey, NDSU Extension Weed Specialist
- Kernza and wester North Dakota corn research
- Dr. Claire Keene, NDSU Assistant Professor/Agronomist
- Sunflower seed weevil
- Dr. Janet Knodel, NDSU Professor/Extension Entomologist
- Disease update
- Dr. Sam Markell, Professor/Plant Pathologist
- Acid soil lime recommendation
- Dr. Chris Augustin, NDSU soil scientist and DREC director
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