Abstract
Maize is frequently infected by the Fusarium species producing mycotoxins. Numerous investigations have focused on grain maize, but little is known about the Fusarium species in the entire plant used for silage. Furthermore, mycotoxins persist during the ensiling process and thus endanger feed safety. In the current study, we analyzed 20 Swiss silage maize samples from growers’ fields for the incidence of Fusarium species and mycotoxins. The species spectrum was analyzed morphologically and mycotoxins were measured by LC-MS/MS. A pre-harvest visual disease rating showed few disease symptoms. In contrast, the infection rate of two-thirds of the harvest samples ranged from 25 to 75% and twelve different Fusarium species were isolated. The prevailing species were F. sporotrichioides, F. verticillioides and F. graminearum. No infection specificity for certain plant parts was observed. The trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON) was found in each sample (ranging from 780 to 2990 µg kg−1). Other toxins detected in descending order were zearalenone, further trichothecenes (nivalenol, HT-2 and T-2 toxin, acetylated DON) and fumonisins. A generalized linear regression model containing the three cropping factors harvest date, pre-precrop and seed treatment was established, to explain DON contamination of silage maize. Based on these findings, we suggest a European-wide survey on silage maize.
Highlights
Maize silage is an important animal feed, which can be infected by a broad range of toxigenic fungi
Most investigations have focused on toxin content in maize kernels [3,8] and toxins in maize silage [4,9]
In order to stop fungal growth, while keeping the fusaria viable, these drying conditions were chosen according to previous findings, that Fusarium species in maize kernels with a minimum moisture content of 20% grew at 30 °C or below, but were no longer viable at 37 °C [27]
Summary
Maize silage is an important animal feed, which can be infected by a broad range of toxigenic fungi. Beside storage fungi, such as the aflatoxin producing Aspergillus fumigatus, field fungi infecting and producing mycotoxins before harvest, represent a hazard to feed safety [1]. Surveys of maize silage revealed that the amount of Fusarium fungi could be reduced by the ensiling process [4,5], possibly due to the acidic and anaerobic conditions. Little is known about the infection of maize plants with Fusarium fungi before ensiling or whether these fungi are more specific to certain plant organs [8,10,11]
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