MONROE - A wet fall harvest has led to concerns about mold in stored grain and corn silage, Green County Ag Agent Mark Mayer said.
Some of the corn harvested last year didn't reach maturity due to wet fall harvest conditions and much of it was harvested at higher than normal moisture levels. As a result, some of the corn farmers put up was already moldy in the field prior to harvest. Once the mold is in the corn it will not go away and has the potential to only get worse while in storage.
Mayer said farmers should inspect their corn in the grain bins about once a week to determine its condition and if it's moldy.
"If molds and mycotoxins are in the grain you can stop it from getting worse, but can't remove what is already there," Mayer said.
To check for mold and grain quality, farmers can do a visual inspection inside the grain bin. Smell for mold odors and look for condensation pockets. A temperature probe can be used to determine hot spots caused by molding grain. Mayer said the mold would likely be in the center core of the grain bin because that is where a large amount of broken kernels settle when the bins are filled.
Farmers need to be careful when they check the grain bins. Mayer said a cave-in of grain can easily trap and kill a person.
Before entering the bin make sure to turn off the power to the auger and look in from outside to observe if a cone has formed in the middle, if grain has been removed. If grain has been removed from the bin, and there is no depression in the grain surface, it's very likely you have a bridge of grain over a cavity that would collapse when you walk on the surface. To check, Mayer said that a long pole be used to probe into the grain surface from outside the hatch to see if a cavity exists below the surface.
"You should also have someone with you when you're inspecting the bin," he said. "They might want to also wear a harness or have a rope tied to them so they don't get caught in a cave in.
"Farmers want to be aware of mold in their corn because moldy corn has the potential to contain mycotoxins, which can be harmful to all types of livestock, with horses, pigs and poultry being the most sensitive. Corn that is being fed to livestock should be tested for both molds and mycotoxins," Mayer said.
A list of labs that test for mycotoxins is available on Mayer's UW-Extension Ag Web page, www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/green/ag/index.html.
If the levels and type of mold and mycotoxins are determined, moldy corn can usually be blended with good quality grain and safely fed to livestock.
It is recommended the best quality corn be fed to younger animals and the worst corn be fed to steers. Farmers should also try to feed their worst corn and corn silage by the end of March as the potential for more mold and mycotoxin growth on grain in storage will increase as outside temperatures warm up.
To try to get corn to dry, some farmers left it in the field last fall. About 2 percent of Green County's 2009 corn crop still needs to be harvested, Mayer estimated. Most of the remaining corn will likely be harvested in the next month depending on the weather.
Some of the corn harvested last year didn't reach maturity due to wet fall harvest conditions and much of it was harvested at higher than normal moisture levels. As a result, some of the corn farmers put up was already moldy in the field prior to harvest. Once the mold is in the corn it will not go away and has the potential to only get worse while in storage.
Mayer said farmers should inspect their corn in the grain bins about once a week to determine its condition and if it's moldy.
"If molds and mycotoxins are in the grain you can stop it from getting worse, but can't remove what is already there," Mayer said.
To check for mold and grain quality, farmers can do a visual inspection inside the grain bin. Smell for mold odors and look for condensation pockets. A temperature probe can be used to determine hot spots caused by molding grain. Mayer said the mold would likely be in the center core of the grain bin because that is where a large amount of broken kernels settle when the bins are filled.
Farmers need to be careful when they check the grain bins. Mayer said a cave-in of grain can easily trap and kill a person.
Before entering the bin make sure to turn off the power to the auger and look in from outside to observe if a cone has formed in the middle, if grain has been removed. If grain has been removed from the bin, and there is no depression in the grain surface, it's very likely you have a bridge of grain over a cavity that would collapse when you walk on the surface. To check, Mayer said that a long pole be used to probe into the grain surface from outside the hatch to see if a cavity exists below the surface.
"You should also have someone with you when you're inspecting the bin," he said. "They might want to also wear a harness or have a rope tied to them so they don't get caught in a cave in.
"Farmers want to be aware of mold in their corn because moldy corn has the potential to contain mycotoxins, which can be harmful to all types of livestock, with horses, pigs and poultry being the most sensitive. Corn that is being fed to livestock should be tested for both molds and mycotoxins," Mayer said.
A list of labs that test for mycotoxins is available on Mayer's UW-Extension Ag Web page, www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/green/ag/index.html.
If the levels and type of mold and mycotoxins are determined, moldy corn can usually be blended with good quality grain and safely fed to livestock.
It is recommended the best quality corn be fed to younger animals and the worst corn be fed to steers. Farmers should also try to feed their worst corn and corn silage by the end of March as the potential for more mold and mycotoxin growth on grain in storage will increase as outside temperatures warm up.
To try to get corn to dry, some farmers left it in the field last fall. About 2 percent of Green County's 2009 corn crop still needs to be harvested, Mayer estimated. Most of the remaining corn will likely be harvested in the next month depending on the weather.