Vomitoxin and Zearalenone Distribution
“From a Testing Lab Perspective”

Table 2 compares the % distribution of mycotoxins (vomitoxin and zearalenone) for the two previous growing seasons (2004 and 2005) versus the initial results for 2006. In 2006 a major shift has occurred in samples that are testing greater than 6 ppm vomitoxin (5.7%) as compared to 0 % in 2005 and 0.4% in 2004.

Although this is concerning 45.4% of the samples analyzed to date are less than 1 ppm and 71.4% are 2 ppm vomitoxin or less. In comparison, on average 77.3% of the samples in 2005 and 2004 were less than 1 ppm and 92.65% of the samples in 2005 and 2004 were 2 ppm or less for vomitoxin. Ontario corn always has a certain percentage testing 1-2 ppm and this years number of 26.0% is higher than the 15.4% two year average for 2005 (20.5%) and 2004 (10.2%). To date the 1-2 ppm percentage is slightly higher (5.5%) then the final 2005 numbers.

Caution: We are still early in the corn harvest in 2006 compared to other years. Sample numbers represented in this 2006 summary are from 299 samples which are much lower than the final harvest sample numbers from 2005 (total of 658 samples) but similar to 2004 (total of 274 samples). The final outcome will not be known until a larger sample number is processed or when the final harvest numbers are completed in the next month.

Zearalenone is another mycotoxin of concern. Off the 299 samples processed to date, over 95.2% were below the maximum recommended feed concentration tolerances (Table 3) for the most susceptible swine animals (young growing pigs, prepubertal gilts and breeding herds). Finishing pigs and boars are more tolerant and the highest observed zearalenone levels (>0.4 ppm) this year are similar to 2004 and considerable lower then 2005. The zearalenone risk is low but we will continue to process samples.

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