Occurrence of aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A and zearalenone in maize silage in the region of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract

Silage made from the whole-plant maize is one of the most popular forages in Serbia. Consumption of maize silage by cows can be up to 30-35 kg/day. In Serbia in the few last years in the focus of the public and agriculture community were two mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 and its metabolite aflatoxin M1 due to the outbreak of contaminated maize which affected the Balkans in 2012. Maize is regularly checked on the occurrence of aflatoxin B1, however forages are often neglected as a potential source of mycotoxins in the nutrition of dairy cattle.

Keywords

• vojvodina
• maize silage
• aflatoxin b1
• ochratoxin a
• zearalenone