Assessment of mycotoxicological profile and concentration on dairy farms in the southeast region of Brazil.

• Grant number: 25/04043-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Humberto Corassin
• Grantee: Tobias Alves e Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cost of feed is one of the most important components of the effective operating costs in dairy production, accounting for approximately 53% of costs in intensive systems in Brazil. As profitability in dairy systems depends on small margins, it is essential to optimize silage production, manage variation in feed composition and balance diets to reduce losses and increase margins. Understanding nutritional practices and diet quality is critical to improving production efficiency, especially in the southeast where the country's highest productivity is concentrated. Corn silage, the main roughage in the diets of high-producing dairy cows, is valued for its fiber and high energy value. However, the nutrient composition of silage varies widely between farms, mainly due to differences in production and storage practices. This variability is a problem because errors in the storage process can lead to contamination by aerobic microorganisms which, in addition to reducing the nutritional value of the silage, can produce mycotoxins, secondary filaments produced by filamentous fungi, which are substances toxic to animal health. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the nutritional and roughage production in mechanized farms in Southeast Brazil, with the aim of establishing a mycotoxicological quality index for silage. Specifically, the aim is to evaluate the quality of maize silage (from planting to delivery), the mycotoxin profile in silage, and the relationship between production and storage processes and contamination levels. Samples of silage will be collected from 80 farms, divided between the top and the bottom of the silo. The collected material will be analyzed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to determine and quantify multiple mycotoxins. (AU)