News Date: 07/21/2009
Many farmers are now seeing a negative result of persistent spring rain in their wheat and barley harvest in the form of vomitoxin. Deoxynivalenol (DON), better known as vomitoxin, may be produced in wheat and barley grain infected by the fungus, Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab. The presence of vomitoxin can make the crop unmarketable or unusable as feed, depending upon the level of contamination. The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) State Chemist is sampling grain at grain elevators and feed mills to determine if vomitoxin is present and if so, at what level. MDA is providing free testing and guidance to farmers who may be considering feeding this year's small grains to livestock. Testing for crop insurance purposes must be done through a crop insurance adjuster. (Contact: Sue duPont at: 410-841-5889 or Julie Oberg at: 410-941-5888)
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