engleski

Climatic conditions and mycotoxins in grains and feed: the Croatian case

Mycotoxins present a serious hazard in animal production due to their effects on animal health and growth as well as on the quality and commercial value of animal products. The influence of environmental conditions on biosynthesis of different mycotoxins is known and well reported. Contamination of crops by some mycotoxigenic fungi (Fusarium i.e.) occurs mainly in field while for the others (Aspergillus sp. i.e.) the contamination can occur both in field and during the storage and processing of crops, feed and food. In Europe, due to climatic conditions unfavourable for Aspergillus flavus pathogenesis, aflatoxins (AF) were considered more a problem of imported feed and food stuff or bad storage conditions. In last decades few outbreaks of aflatoxin contamination in European corn, feed and milk were reported. The data indicate that AF contamination of corn occurred in field, most probably due to unusually extreme climatic conditions registered in some of past summers. In Croatian milk AF M1 levels higher than allowed by EU legislation were detected in 2013. The economical losses for dairy farmers and industry were huge. In this paper the correlation of contamination of grains and feed stuff produced in Croatia region of Slavonia and whether conditions is evaluated. During the last 5 years AF and deoxynivalenol (DON) content in more than 100 samples of each group (maize seeds, maize derived feed, wheat and other cereals) each year were analysed and compared to the temperature and humidity registered in the fields from June to October. The positive correlation between drought and high temperatures and AF contamination of grains has been confirmed. Lower temperatures and high humidity in early summer period seemed to have better correlation with DON contamination.

aflatoxin ; DON ; temperature ; rainfall

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