Agronomic Practices to Reduce Field-Produced Mycotoxins

Caroline Knoblock, MSc, - Director of Nutrition, Agrarian Solutions and Larry Roth, Ph.D., PAS - Vice President of Nutrition

When it comes to mycotoxin prevention, we are often at the mercy of the weather and growing conditions of each crop season. Mycotoxin-causing molds have certain weather conditions in which they thrive. If the plant is weakened, it is at risk of being infected by these molds. Fusarium molds that produce (as a by-product) DON, Zearalenone, T2, and Fumonisin, love cool and wet weather conditions. It is also possible to experience Fumonisin in areas that have cool and dry weather.

Fortunately, we are not completely at the mercy of the weather. Anything we can do to keep our soil and plants healthy will help them fight off mycotoxin-causing molds. There are a few things that are in our control such as not spreading spoiled silage on fields, crop rotation, and hybrid choices.

The health of our crops begins and ends in the soil. Soil is a reservoir for molds of all kinds, and the things we do can increase or decrease the amount of mycotoxin-causing molds in the soil. The best advice to reduce the amount of mycotoxin-causing molds in soils is to counsel farms to not spread visibly moldy, spoiled silage on their fields. They are re-inoculating their soils with the molds that made the mycotoxins and other spoilage issues. Moldy silage should also never be fed to animals. It is high in molds and mycotoxins that will cause rumen upset, intestinal damage, and reproductive issues. Composting is the best method for dealing with spoiled forages. It may be difficult to find room on the farm to add to the compost, but it will pay dividends.

Crop rotation may be enough to break the mold cycle in soils for some farms. Planting corn every year may be necessary for forage needs, but it is creating an environment in the soil where mycotoxin-causing molds thrive. A healthy soil microbiome is essential for reducing the amounts of mycotoxin-causing molds, and rotating in a nitrogen fixing crop such as soybeans or alfalfa every few years will go a long way for soil health and breaking the mold growth cycle. These crops also leave less residue that harbors molds.

Hybrid choices for corn may become an option that helps significantly reduce the risk of mold infection in our crops, but it is not yet a perfect solution. In the drier parts of the U.S., hybrid selection for drought-resistant corn has significantly reduced the amount of aflatoxin in the corn crop. There is no hybrid for mycotoxin prevention, but hybrid choices that are optimal for your growing area may create a healthier plant that will be more resistant to mycotoxin-causing molds.

There is still a lot we do not understand about preventing mycotoxin-causing molds in our forages. But the things we can influence may have a positive impact on our crops and their ability to withstand mold infection. The number one advice is to stop spreading spoiled silage on the fields, followed by crop rotation and proper hybrid selection.

DTX™ will protect your cows from mycotoxins once it is in the feed – and Agrarian Solution is here to help you and your clients prevent mycotoxin contamination before it happens.