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2017 harvest results in higher mycotoxin levels

A livestock nutritionist is warning dairy and beef cow producers of higher mycotoxin levels in forages and grains.

Dr. Max Hawkins with Alltech says research following this year’s harvest points to more risk in ruminants compared to 2016.

“One of the first things we need to consider when we talk about harvest analysis and mycotoxins is weather patterns.  And if we think back to the weather stresses that this year’s crop has had to grow and mature under, and as we look at the results, I think it’s somewhat easy to identify what that effect may have been.”

The Alltech data shows mycotoxin levels have nearly doubled across most areas of the Corn Belt.

“What this tells me is that (farmers) need to understand they’ll have to do some testing to know what this total mycotoxin risk is going to be, either to my dairy cows or to my beef cattle as I feed this product out through the rest of the year.”

More than 10 percent of the samples also contained aflatoxin, which is known to increase in storage.

Hawkins says the management and monitoring of silage will be critical as producers feed out the 2017 harvest.