---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 14:02:02 -0500
From: rcole@asrr.arsusda.gov
To: "Tom Hodges (moderated newsgroup)" <sustag@BETA.TRICITY.WSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Silage problems (fwd)
Dear Tom,
Several years ago we experienced acute mycotoxin problems associated with
'trench type' and upright silos. In the first case, the silage was being
unloaded improperly, causing areation of the face of the silo. The result was a
secondary fermentation by thermophilic strains of Aspergillus fumigatus. This
fungus can produce clavine alkaloids, fungal tremorgens, etc. We had about three
different incidents during that one year. We have published this information so
if you are interested I can get the references to you. We had another incident
on a Mennonite farm in 1977, involving Dairy cattle consuming silage from an
upright silo. In this case the corn crop was under severe drought stress and to
salvage the crop it was ensilaged. The clinical signs were severe bloody diarra
and a dramatic drop in milk production in all animals. We concluded that the
water activity in the corn was too low to support the normal silage forming
bacteria and an other microorganism(s), presumably toxigenic fungi,
proliferated. The anerobic conditions could have been compromised in this case
also. We never published anything on this problem because we couldn't properly
pursue the problem at that particular time. Best personal regards, Dick Cole.