By Emma Matcham, Ohio State Extension

With frost in the forecast this fall, that means it’s time for our annual sorghum species prussic acid reminders.

What is prussic acid?

Prussic acid is a cyanide-containing compound that forms from a compound called dhurrin, which is part of the defense mechanisms found in sorghum species. When cells are damaged by frost (or occasionally other stressors, such as sudden high insect feeding), chemical reactions in the plant cells cause dhurrin to convert into prussic acid. When mammals consume prussic acid, it can disrupt oxygen transfer and may be toxic even at relatively low levels (500 to 750 ppm cyanide in feed on a dry matter basis).

Which plants have a prussic acid formation risk?

Plants in the sorghum family have the risk of forming prussic a

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