Tech Talk: Maintaining a guard against mycotoxins
By BPEX - Grain quality is likely to have been affected by bad weather during the harvest. Pig producers are urged to be extra vigilant to ensure the quality of cereal grains going into feed is maintained so pig health, feed intake and performance do not suffer.
20 November 2004
4 minute read
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The wet weather has delayed harvest
and also led to high grain moisture
content, which increases the risk of
mycotoxin development during storage.
Proper grain storage is the key. HGCA
has urged growers to focus on wellestablished
basics of drying and cooling.
HGCA Assistant Director of Research
and Development, Dr Roger Williams
said: “It is vital to dry the grain to below
18% moisture content as quickly as
possible, then continue drying to 14.5%
or below.
“Failure to do so will increase the risk
of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A forming in
stored grain. Subsequent cooling as
quickly as possible is important to stop
insects breeding.”
Work done by the VLA led Stan Done
and Andrew Gresham to conclude that
mycotoxicosis and particularly ochratoxicosis
may be, at least in part, a factor in
the development of PMWS and PDNS.
Ergot is another watch point. MLC Pig
Technical Manager, Dr Pinder Gill, said:
“Depending on the level of contamination,
ergot in feed grain will result in a
serious reduction in intake, or even
outright refusal of feed in young growing
pigs, causing a marked growth check”.
MLC Senior Pig Scientist, Dr Jayne
Thompson said: “The MLC welcomed the
opportunity of working with the HGCA,
on behalf of BPEX, to provide practical
guidance for UK pig producers.
“We are grateful to the HGCA for the
information which will prove useful to
producers in managing problems that
could arise in the coming months, particularly
if they grow their own cereals”.
Guidance on the best methods of
drying, cooling and storing grain is
provided by HGCA in their Grain Storage
Guide and Topic Sheet No. 78, together
with other practical information at
www.hgca.com.
Further information more specifically
for pig producers will soon be available
on www.bpex.org.uk and www.stotfold
pigs.co.uk.
What to look for
PINK GRAIN: associated with Fusarium, although there are other causes that may affect feed quality. Where pink grain is caused by Fusarium, mycotoxins may be produced (HGCA surveys show levels rarely exceed proposed limits)
MOULDY GRAIN: appears dull and weathered, and may impair quality. The dullness results from moulds or spores that present an unacceptable risk of mycotoxin formation.
ERGOT (hard purple-black ‘sclerotia’ can be seen in the grain up to 2cm long, distinguishable from rodent droppings by grey/white insides): toxic to man and animals, particularly pigs, and is unacceptable.
Animal symptoms:
An unexpected and marked level of feed
refusal may be associated with poor drying
practices and grain contamination.
Pigs (and other livestock) fed grain contaminated
with ergot can show symptoms including
gangrene, abortion, failure to lactate and
possible death. A resurgence of PMWS-related
problems may be associated with mycotoxicosis
that could result from fungal and mycotoxin
contamination of grain used in pig feed.
Source: British Pig Executive - October 2004
