Producers are encouraged to join Dr. Max Hawkins, nutritionist, Alltech Mycotoxin Management team, on Monday, November 30th, for a series of two webinars on Mycotoxin management. Dr. Hawkins will present Alltech’s latest findings from the 2015 North America Harvest Analysis, and will discuss the production and economic impacts ruminant and monogastric animals could be facing.
Ann Hess, On-Farm Communications manager for Alltech, sat down with AgWired at Trade Talk during the 2015 National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention to discuss the webinar and highlight some different ways that producers will be affected by mycotoxins this year.
“The USDA said this week that we’re going to have a record soybean crop, that it’s the third largest corn crop in history, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be problem-free for livestock,” said Hess.
Since the beginning of the 2015 harvest, Alltech has collected and analyzed more than 100 corn and corn silage samples across the key production regions in North America and tested them through the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis. The 2015 North America Harvest Analysis takes those samples and reports the latest mycotoxin contamination levels.
“What we’ve found so far this season is that US and Canada corn silage samples are averaging 5.75 mycotoxins per sample,” said Hess. “We’re seeing over 90% Type B Trichothecenes, 98% Fusaric Acid, and 45% in the ‘other penicillium’ group. The biggest difference between last year and this year is the other penicillium group; we’re seeing them at a higher rate, and seeing it more often.”
Through species-specific risk assessments and crop monitoring, the Alltech Mycotoxin Management team is able to provide producers with a snapshot of the contamination levels that are coming in from this season’s crop harvest. This allows producers to be aware of the potential impacts the contamination levels present to livestock performance and producer profitability.
“There are just so many elements that come into play, whether its the weather, timing of harvest, this year’s growing season,” says Hess, ” They can all effect if the crop is going to be substantial and good quality.”
To reserve a spot for the webinar, please register online.
Listen to Jamie’s Full Interview with Ann here:
Interview with Ann Hess, Alltech
