The problem with an ergot infestation in a seed/grass crop is that it looks like grain-except for the color, which is much darker. If grain farming is your way of life, you’re extremely familiar with ergot and the alkaloid toxins it produces, which can make animals or humans sick if they consume too much of it. And, with sick animals, often antibiotics are prescribed to help them fight off any infections caused by the toxin. If you can keep the animals from eating the poisoned grain or keep it out of cereal grains for humans, then you can avoid the situation altogether and reduce antibiotic usage. What’s a safe level of ergot in a grain crop? In Germany, for example, the limit for ergot in grain is 0.1% by weight.
If you’ve never seen the results of ergot infection, Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist, provides some close-up views of ergot on grass/grain seeds in a University of Missouri video.