Alltech warns of toxins in silage

Alltech says its testing has revealed a high risk that silage may contain mycotoxins harmful to cattle.

For Quebec, 90 per cent of corn silage samples tested positive for zearalenone (ZEA), with levels reaching as high as 1,369 parts per billion and deoxynivalenol (DON) was found in 68 per cent of samples.

T-2 and HT-2 toxins were less prevalent, found in 25 per cent of samples, but still pose a concern for livestock producers, Alltech said in a news release.

In Ontario, 63 per cent of wheat samples contained DON, while 45 per cent showed the presence of ZEA.

Grain corn samples also showed DON contamination, with a maximum level surpassing four parts per million.

That poses the greatest risk to swine and younger animals, Alltech said.

“Canada has experienced a change in weather patterns from last year, particularly of note the greater rainfall across the Prairies,” said Alexandra Weaver, global technical support for Alltech, in the press release.

“As a result, there appears to be greater mycotoxin risk in the Western Canada 2024 harvest than last year.”