Mycotoxins in silage : checkpoints for effective management and control

Silage making increased considerably from the 1960s. At present, this practice is considered one of the most appropriate to preserve forage over extended time periods and to maintain nutritional value comparable to fresh pastures. Silage is widely used in farms and has a substantial role in animal production systems. Forage silage, as a source of mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins, merits attention. The contribution of silages to total mycotoxin intake could be significant and sometimes greater than that of compound feed in ruminant diet, as forages are the main dry matter component. For dairy ruminants, the problem does not end in animal disease or production losses as the carry-over to milk and dairy products of mycotoxins or their metabolic products may eventually affect human health. Based on the increasing amounts of research, it is becoming clear that mycotoxins represent an unavoidable risk. When it comes to managing the challenge of moulds and mycotoxins in silages there are many factors with pre- and postharvest origins to take into account. Pre harvest is dictated by environment factors, whereas postharvest (silage making practices, differences in physical properties and environmental conditions within a silo, feed out phase) can be largely controlled by the farmer. Therefore, an effective mycotoxin management and control program should be personalized to each farm at an integrative level all along the silage production chain: crop growth in the field, silage making practices, and feed out phase. The presentation will summarize the current knowledge regarding mycotoxin occurrence in silage as well as factors affecting their concentrations and distribution at harvest and during ensiling. With a specific focus on maize silage and grass silage, specific information and suggestions for “in field” decision making to precisely manage the mycotoxin burden and evaluate the acceptability for its use as animal feed will be given. The impact of sampling and analysis will also be discussed