Lauksmė Merkevičiūte-Venslovė

This study aimed to assess the risk of mycotoxin contamination and delayed harvesting on the quality and technological parameters of spring oats and triticale. Seventy‐two grain samples were collected at three stages from four randomized field replots. Delayed harvesting led to high mycotoxin contamination of spring oats by DON and T‐2 toxin and triticale grains by DON and ZEA and diminished main grain quality indicators, including mass per hectoliter, falling number, and RVA pasting properties. The optimal harvest time, especially in wet weather conditions, is a crucial consideration for viscosity. The correlation analyses between mycotoxins and the quality and technological parameters of oats and triticale grains revealed a trend in which the increasing mycotoxin contamination of spring cereal grains leads to negative consequences on mass per hectoliter, protein, starch, K, Can and Mg in oat grains and a reduction in mass per hectoliter, Mg, viscosity, and falling number values in triticale grains. Practical Applications: Information on the risk of mycotoxin contamination and harvest delays affecting the quality and technological parameters of spring grain crops will be useful and provide new insights to grain producers, buyers, processors, and other interested professionals on factors that reduce the quality of spring grains.

The common smut of corn, caused by Ustilago maydis, reduces the yield and quality of maize forage. When heavy infestations of corn smut occur, grain yields can be so severely decreased that the most viable economic alternative may be to harvest and ensile the crop. Only a couple of studies have attempted to investigate the influence of aerobic exposure on the nutritive value and aerobic stability of silage, which is prepared from smut-infected maize. In this study, individual whole corn plants were harvested by hand. The plants were distributed into three treatments: 0% infected, 50% infected, and 100% infected. The fresh forage was ensiled in triplicate for a 90-day period. Aerobic exposure lasted for 28 days. Samples were taken on the day of opening and on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th days. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration equations were used for the prediction of qualitative indicators. Silage prepared from 100% smut-infected maize had comparatively poor quality with dry matter loss, increasing pH and the low amount of starch. It was also distinguished with significant temperature increases from days 15 to 18 of aerobic exposure. Silage prepared from 50% smut-infected maize did not show significant quality changes over the period of the experiment, although it had inferior quality compared to the silage prepared from smut-free maize. While silage prepared from smut-infected maize had an overall worse quality than silage prepared from non-infected maize, it should not have an adverse effect on livestock health or production.