Animal Nutrition & Health

Mycotoxin Prediction

dsm-firmenich PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

The Mycotoxin Prediction Service delivers assessments of expected mycotoxin levels in the upcoming harvest of corn (maize) and wheat around the world.

Mycotoxin contaminated feed and food are a risk to the health of humans and livestock resulting in significant economic losses. The majority of mycotoxins accumulate in the field, and contamination levels are strongly influenced by weather conditions at critical stages of crop development. Additional factors such as soil management, sowing time and each crop's genetic resistance contribute to farm-level risk within a region.

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How does prediction work?

Mycotoxin prediction models provide forecasts on expected mycotoxin levels in the upcoming harvest. In order to provide accurate predictions, weather conditions during various growing stages need to be taken into account, and there needs to be an understanding of how these weather conditions impact mycotoxin development in the crop. The Mycotoxin Prediction service focuses on the potential for mycotoxin development in wheat and corn, because the impact of weather on mycotoxins is well established. It combines factors affecting disease pressure into sophisticated algorithms, and is continually being updated and improved with data from the BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey – the most comprehensive data set on worldwide mycotoxin occurrence.

The algorithm analyzes data from a range of inputs to calculate a predicted mycotoxin contamination level for the next harvest:

  • Biochemistry of mycotoxin production
  • Fungi type, lifecylce stage
  • Crop type, planting date, lifecycle stage
  • Information from the global mycotoxin occurrence dataset
  • Sophisticated mathematical algorithms 
  • Hourly global weather data

The Mycotoxin Prediction Service is not yet available in all regions.
Check availability of the Mycotoxin Prediction Service in your region with your local dsm-firmenich representative.

Your benefits in the field

With these inputs, the Mycotoxin Prediction Service assesses the relative risk for increased mycotoxin levels on the field in regions across the globe. These include deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, the most prevalent mycotoxins in corn and wheat, as well as aflatoxins and fumonisins in corn. The Mycotoxin Prediction Service allows crop users and crop producers to make sound decisions in terms of purchasing, quality control and crop management.

  • Decide whether to intensify field scouting for crop infection
    This can help identify fungal crop infections that lead to mycotoxin formation.
  • Apply good agricultural practices
    Optimizing practices like crop rotation, fertilization, cultivation and others helps reduce the risk of mycotoxins.
  • Optimize your mycotoxin testing program
    Testing is crucial: are you testing your wheat and corn often enough and for the right mycotoxins?
  • Make better informed decisions on yield versus quality to enhance profitability
    Use the predictions about mycotoxin contamination levels to influence the timing of testing and even harvesting.
  • Make informed choices on imported feed
    Consider the source of your raw materials and adjust testing of your feed

All our Mycotoxin Solutions

  • Mycotoxin Analysis

    We offer a range of analytical services to customers to assess the mycotoxin contamination of feed materials.

  • FUMzyme® Silage

    FUMzyme® Silage is a unique additive sprayed onto corn (maize) at harvest that targets and detoxifies harmful fumonisins, so that the resulting silage is safe and fumonisin-free for livestock nutrition.

  • Mycofix® Secure

    The risk management solution against aflatoxins and/or ergot alkaloids in animal feed.

  • Mycofix®

    The Mycofix® portfolio of feed additives represents the most state-of-the-art solution for protecting animal health by deactivating mycotoxins that contaminate farm animal feed. Its safety and efficacy are proven by 7 EU authorizations for substances that deactivate mycotoxins.

  • Mycofix® Plus 5.Z

    Absolute protection against the broadest range of mycotoxins. With ZENzyme® Faster and Better

  • FUMzyme® sol

    FUMzyme®, the only enzyme that effectively detoxifies fumonisins safely and irreversibly, is available for post-pellet and liquid application in animal feed. From the creators of Mycofix®. Naturally Ahead.

  • Mycotoxin Contamination

    Our portfolio of tools helps to understand the potential risks of mycotoxins for animal species and location.

  • 20 years World Mycotoxin Survey: Trends

    Starting the dsm-firmenich World Mycotoxin Survey already in 2004, we are proud to celebrate a 20 year`s anniversary this year. The increasing sample size over the years gives detailed insights on the incidence of the six major mycotoxins in the agricultural commodities used for livestock feed in order to identify the potential risk posed to livestock animal production.

  • 20 years World Mycotoxin Survey: Multi-mycotoxin methods

    Only analyzing for single mycotoxins can lead to underestimation of the detrimental effects of mycotoxins on animal health and performance. Our long-term monitoring of mycotoxins in different commodities shows that cooccurrence of mycotoxins is the rule and not the exception. Here we need support of state-of the art analytical methods based on LC-MS/MS. These allow to detect multiple mycotoxins in one run. The high sensitivity of the method is important, as already moderate levels of mycotoxins can have a detrimental effect. This is especially true in case of co-contamination.

  • 20 years World Mycotoxin Survey: Impact on species

    Effects of mycotoxins on animals are diverse and range from carcinogenicity, hepatoxicity and neurotoxicity to impaired reproduction, digestive disorders, immunomodulation and decreased performance. Clinical signs can be seen at high levels of mycotoxin contamination but more frequently we observe subclinical effects. Already moderate levels of mycotoxins, especially during chronic exposure, can negatively affect the animals. Mycotoxins influence the immune system, the integrity of the gut barrier and act as predisposing factors for disease.

  • dsm-firmenich Mycotoxin Survey

    The dsm-firmenich Mycotoxin Survey constitutes the longest running and most comprehensive data set on mycotoxin occurrence. The survey results provide insights on the incidence of the six major mycotoxins in the agricultural commodities used for livestock feed in order to identify the potential risk posed to livestock animal production.

  • 20 years World Mycotoxin Survey: Regional contamination by commodities

    With our World Mycotoxin Survey results on the current levels of mycotoxin contamination in different commodities and regions of the world, we want to inform and support feed and animal producers to get a better picture of the mycotoxin risk in their region or in imported feed ingredients.

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