Dec. 15, 2011 - Despite recent cool temperatures, the threat of aflatoxin in corn produced this year is still a viable threat. The toxin can still be present in the corn that livestock producers purchase to feed.
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) provides aflatoxin testing service as official criteria for corn, sorghum, wheat, and soybeans, under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA).
However, many corn fields in Texas where in such poor condition due to lack of moisture that producers didn't even attempt to harvest. Rather, the corn was baled complete and some of it sold for livestock consumption during a time when hay was scarce.
"Every year generally, I cant say every year, but most years, somewhere it has been hot and dry at the time the corn is most susceptible," said Agricultural Consultant for the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Clay Wright. "So, it is just a routine thing that the corn is tested, even in areas that did not experience hot dry conditions at pollination, which is the most likely time to become infected. It is just so toxic, we are dealing in parts per billion rather than parts per million.
"On a national basis, the whole corn crop can experience levels of infection of 1 percent to 20 percent," Wright said. "In our part of the world. we are not well known for being a high corn producer, but the corn that was produced in this part of the world -- Oklahoma, Texas, western Arkansas, southwestern Missouri -- there where parts that were severally drought-stricken and probably had higher incidences of aflatoxins than other areas."
Knowing that their crop wasn't going to make due to the drought, and the possibility of aflatoxin, some producers decided to flatten out and roll up their crops.
"It got so bad around here that a lot of the corn wasn't harvested," Wright said. "It was just baled. It got so hot and dry, and stayed so hot and dry, the whole plant with the ear still on it and everything was just baled up."
This may have decreased the likelihood of higher aflatoxin infestation levels in the national corn supply by keeping it out of the grain market all together.
"That doesn't eliminate the danger and the risk of aflatoxin poison," Wright noted. "In 2006, I had a co-operator who bought some baled corn and I tested that and, at the same time, I grabbed some of the shriveled ears that where in the bales and had that tested specifically for aflatoxins, and it came back higher than the absolute highest allowable level of aflatoxins. They fed it, and they had some problems with it. So, even when it is not harvested as grain, those shriveled ears in the bale can still be a problem. I don't think there is routine test for that other than the routine test for testing grain. But, I tested that and it came back very high."
So, while Wright does not think everyone who purchased baled corn should have it tested, he did say to be aware of the danger that exists.
"There has been a whole lot of corn hay harvested and purchased that is currently being fed that was never tested," he said. "I wouldn't recommend it as a routine practice, but if you are concerned, grab some ears and have it sampled. There are other problems with baled corn, there are nitrate problems with it that can cause sickness and death, just like aflatoxins."
There are procedures in place that are followed so that a broad representative sample can be taken and analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin. That is the test that Wright said is important. While the mold that causes aflatoxin can be tested for, it generally will not be of much use to the producer or potential buyer.
"It is not a matter of testing for the mold, because the mold can exist in the corn plant, in the corn that is harvested, in the grain bins It can exist without excreting the aflatoxin," he explained. "So, really the aflatoxin is what we are concerned about. We can test for Aspergillus, but we have to test for the aflatoxin... The mold itself is not the problem."
Contact a local Extension office to find out where and how to go about testing for aflatoxin.
