Given the extreme weather in 2019, producers and users of silage should carefully watch for molds and mycotoxins.
In a company news release, Alltech says extreme weather conditions and moisture levels can reduce yields and induce plant stress, and they can also lead to future issues for the crop, including mycotoxins and molds.
Mycotoxins are a concern for livestock producers, as they influence feed quality and animal safety.
Samples of the 2019 corn silage from across the U.S. submitted to the Alltech mycotoxin analytical services laboratory include high levels of mycotoxins.
The samples have included an average of 7.13 mycotoxins, with a range of two to 14 mycotoxins per sample.
Dr. Max Hawkins, nutritionist with the Alltech Mycotoxin Management team, says, “These levels of mycotoxins found in the 2019 crop are significantly higher than the average values.”
He recommends livestock producers across the U.S. should test their own corn silage to identify the levels of individual mycotoxins and the subsequent risk present to livestock health and performance.
