Maintaining Quality of Grains and Seeds in Storage Managing Molds and Mycotoxins

Barry J. Jacobsen Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Montana State University Bozeman, MT
1/6/09 Crop pest Management School

Grain is highest quality and lowest storage risk when fully mature before harvest, absence of field mold damage, hail damage, lack of rain that delays harvest

How do we avoid this? How did it happen?

Storability Factors
Moisture-not average moisture but moisture of wettest g component- affects ability of storage fungi to grow Temperature- affects growth rate of storage fungi and insects BCFM-influences air movement, aeration, wet weed seeds, etc Ph i l d Physical damage t th k to the kernel or seed l d
Mechanical-harvest and handling Insects-field and storage Stress cracks associated with high temperature drying

Infection by field molds y

Field Molds
Field Molds-infect in field and generally grow at moistures >20%-infected k 20% i f t d kernels more susceptible t i l tibl to invasion b storage i by t fungi- may produce mycotoxins
Aspergillus flavus-aflatoxins * can grow @16% St Stenocarpella maydis (Diplodia), Helminthosporium (C hli b l ) ll di (Di l di ) H l i th i (Cochliobolus) Fusarium graminearum, pseudograminearum, culmorum, verticilliodes, F. subglutinans, F, proliferatum (F. moniliformae)-, DON, fumonisins Gibberella zea (Fusarium graminearum)
DON, DAS, T-2, HT-2, zearalenone

Nigrospora oryzae Penicillium species- ochratoxins, citrinin, penicillic acid and others Cladosporium herbarum Alternaria sp.-alternariol, tenuazonic acid, etc Trichoderma viridae

Generally non-toxic, ear molds of corn

Diplodia ear rot

Most common molds-Alternaria, Cladosporium Rhizopus, Mucor, etc produce no known mycotoxins

Cladosporium ear rot Cl d i t

Infections associated with insect damage (earworm, corn borer), high temperatures and droughty conditions during grain fill

Aspergillus f flavus, A. parasiticus Aflatoxins-B-1, B-2, G-1, G-2, M-1, M-2

Gibberella zeae ear rot

Reddish-pink to white mold on ears Fusarium molds may produce DON (vomitoxin) , zearalenone, T-2, HT 2 l T 2 HT-2, DAS

Cool, wet conditions in 21 days after pollination

Favored by hot, dry weather at and after flowering-insect damage

Fusarium verticilliodes, F. subglutinans, F, proliferatum (F. moniliformae)-Fusarium Kernel or Ear Rot-Fumonisins

Fusarium verticilliodes, F. proliferatum, F. proliferatum F subglutinans (F. moniliformae)

*Warm,dry years *Insect Feeding Insect *Gibberella fujikuroi *Kernel damage promotes the disease * Less fumonisin in Bt corns

Gibberella Ear Rot Head Blight (Scab)

VOMITOXIN (DON) & ZEARALENONE

Corn: cool wet weather silking + 21 days, wet weather delayed harvest h t Wheat-Barley: 50-860F anthesis +3-5 days-3 or more rain events

1941-19471941-1947-Alimentary Toxic Aleukia-Russia-Central Asia-wheat, Aleukia-RussiaAsiabarley, prosomillet overwintered in field-trichothecene toxins fieldfrom Fusarium sp.

Fusarium-trichothecenes

Alternaria-Alternaria toxins Wet weather delayed harvest-Field molds

Dust= spores and hyphae of Cladosporium Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria p g , ,

Grain storage molds

Penicillium ear rot Penicillium spp. P i illi

Ochratoxins, sterimatocyctin, Ochrato ins sterimatoc ctin Tremogenic to ins L teosk rin Pat lin toxins, Luteoskyrin, Patulin, Rubratoxin, Cyclopiazonic acid, Citrinin, Citreoviridin, etc

Source: D.W. White

Storage Molds
Grow at moistures of 13-20% or moistures 13 20% in equilibrium with 65-90% relative y humidity Members of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium
These molds are nearly ubiquitous in the environment All corn kernels have these spores on their surface-infection is determined by:
Moisture temperature damage to kernel Moisture, temperature,

Aspergillus/ Penicillium
Cosmopolitan- found in all soils and are Cosmopolitan associated with decay of organic materials Can grow at very low water availability Aspergilli favored by warm to hot conditions diti Penicillium favored by cooler conditions

Water Activity High Eurotium spp. A.glaucus Storage Mold St M ld Fusarium graminearum Field Mold Low Very Low

Aspergillus flavus e d/Sto age o d Field/Storage Mold

Grain storage molds

Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. spe g us a d e c u spp

These fungi decay all seeds given the right commodity moisture and p p p temperature-some species produce mycotoxins

Equilibrium Moisture/Mold Growth

%RH Starchy Soybean, St h S b grains pea, bean, lentils 12.5 14.0 15.0 16.0 18.0 22.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 18.0 20.0 Peanut, P t Fungi F i canola, camelina, safflower 5.0 A. halophilcus/ A. restrictus 6.0 A. glaucus 7.0 8.0 10.0 13.0 A. candidus A. flavus Penicillium sp Above +Penicillium Yeasts/ bacteria /most field molds

65-70 70-75 75-80 80-85 85-90 >95

Aspergillus glaucus

Penicillium sp.

Bin Burning associated with Aspergillus glaucus and A. candidus

Corn: fire started by spontaneous combustion due to storage mold activity

Bin Burning of soybeanAspergillus glaucus and A ill l d A. candidus

Aspergillus restrictus Slow growing!!! Surface-white to green Reverse-pale Biseriate Green conidia G idi Long columnar head Grows at equilibrium moisture of 65-70%13.5-14.3% Discolors germs-brown-black Often associated with granary weevils Usually a factor in long storage Produces moisture to allow P d i t t ll A. glaucus to grow

Aspergillus glaucus
Surface-green with yellow areas Reverse-yellow to brown Uniseriate Loosely columnar head Some strains with yellow cleistotheciea

Grows at equilibrium moistures of 70 75% 70-75% Grows fairly fast Early decay Produces moisture that allows fast growing A. candidus to grow Sterigmatocystin-Eurotium types

Aspergillus versicolor p g
Surface-white turns to yellow, tan, tan pale green, pink green Reverse-white to yellowpurple red Biseriate Round l R d loosely radiate h d l di t head

Similar to A. glaucus but later in decay Sterigmatocystin

Aspergillus candidus
Surface-white -reverse-pale to yellow orange uniseriate

Common in heated grain it can heat to 55C!- first step in spontaneous combustion Grows at equilibrium moistures q of 75-80% Presence in even a low % indicates spoilage is underway or grain lot is mixed

Grain elevator fires often are result of spontaneous combustion 2007 Fallon, MT-camelina

Aspergillus flavus

A. A flavus
Surface yellow green-reverse gold to green reverse reddish brown-with age Uni biseriate Uni-biseriate Round radiate Sclerotia in some strains Grows at equilibrium moistures>80-85% q ~16% moisture for starchy cereal grains Aflatoxins! generally Aflatoxins!-generally preharvest

Grain storage molds

Penicillium ear rot Penicillium spp. P i illi

Source: D.W. White

Penicillium sp.

Penicillium sp. grow at equilibrium moistures > 85%

Grain storage molds

Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. on wheat

Source: C.M. Christensen

35 day voyage Convent, LA to Nagoya, Japan

Average moisture at loading 14.97% Range i di id l k R individual kernels 10 7 18 2% l 10.7-18.2%

Corn storage life* in days as affected by b temperature and moisture d i

Temp 0F 13 40 50 60 70 80 4500 2520 1410 780 450 50 Moisture Content % 14 1830 1020 570 330 180 80 15 870 480 186 156 8 87 16 450 267 150 84 48 8 17 282 159 90 51 27 18 183 102 57 33 27

* To prevent>0.5% dry matter loss-USDA-Iowa State

Corn storage L C t Lessons Longer storage without loss g g in quality at lower temperature Shorter storage without loss in quality with lower levels of broken kernels

Wheat

Pea seed germination as affected by storage molds

Moldy clumps: usually starts in areas of high moisture seeds (weed, immature kernels or where transferred moisture condenses) or where broken kernels and fines block air movement

Conditions that Contribute to Spoilage

Moisture content of the grain-individual seeds Temperature of the grain-higher= faster mold growth h Amount of broken seeds and foreign material
R Remember weed seeds are often higher moisture than b d d ft hi h it th grain Pulse crops harvest moisture

Degree which the grain is invaded by insects and molds- pre-harvest-post harvest Wh molds and insects grow they produce When ld di h d metabolic heat and water-succession of organisms

Managing Storage Molds

In high risk areas- corn hybrids are available with g y reduced susceptibilty to Gibberella ear rot, Fusarium ear rot and aflatoxin production-wheat varieties with scab resistance Anticipate problems-weather drives preharvest infections rots caused by Gibberella, Fusarium, Aspergillus flavus Encourage growers to minimize kernel damage adjust damage-adjust combine-worn augers, watch high temperature dryingstress cracks Cl Clean t remove weed seeds, b k grain ( ld to d d broken i (mold infected grain breaks up easily)-this will help aerationspoutline of fines are often sites of initial mold activity aeration

Managing Storage Molds

Storability is affected by moisture and temperature-remember storability is dependent on the wettest componentcomponent molds, insects will produce heat and moisture that allow deterioration of adjacent kernels! Monitor temperatures early signs of decay temperatures-early Control storage insects Remember moisture migration with change of seasons

Great reference on grain storage ecology

Good general reference on critical Moistures for various commodities -trouble shooting

Grain storage references

Quality Maintenance in stored grains and seedsy g Christensen and Meronuck-1986-Univ. MN Press Storage of Cereal Grains and their productsChristensen, Ed. 1982-Americam Association of Cereal Chemists S il Spoilage and h ti of stored agricultural d heating f t d i lt l products-Prevention Detection and Control-Mills1989-Research Canada Mycotoxins-Risks in Plant, Animal and Human Systems-CAST 2003

Grain storage references

Quality Maintenance in stored grains and seedsy g Christensen and Meronuck-1986-Univ. MN Press Storage of Cereal Grains and their productsChristensen, Ed. 1992-Americam Association of Cereal Chemists S il Spoilage and h ti of stored agricultural d heating f t d i lt l products-Prevention Detection and Control-Mills1989-Research Canada Mycotoxins-Risks in Plant, Animal and Human Systems-CAST 2003

Mycotoxins
Fungal metabolites that are toxic when consumed by animals i l
Major classes of mycotoxins
Aflatoxins, trichothecenes (DON, T-2, DAS), fumonisins, zearalenone, ochratoxin, zearalenone ochratoxin ergot alkaloides sterigmatocystin alkaloides,

<50 different mycotoxins are well characterized Estimated that there may be 20,000-300,00 unique mycotoxins Routine analytical methods for 20 mycotoxins y y

Produced by molds in grains, seeds, hay, silage, processed feeds, wallboard, wall paper, carpets, etc
Produced by fewer than 100 species of fungi of the several y p g hundred thousand known fungal species Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Claviceps, Stachybotrys, etc

Mycotoxicoses-disease caused by mycotoxins

Mycotoxigenic Fusarium sp sp.

F. acuminatum DAS, T-2 HT-2 acuminatum-DAS, T 2 HT 2 F. culmorum-DON, nivalenol, zearalenone F. equiseti-DAS nivalenol F equiseti-DAS, nivalenol, zearalenone F. graminearum-DON, nivalenol, zearalenone* F. poae DAS nivalenol T-2, HT-2 F poae-DAS, nivalenol, T 2 HT 2 F. sporotrichioides-DAS, T-2, (HT-2) F. F verticillioides (moniliformae) F proliferatum (moniliformae), F. proliferatumfumonisins* Grow at grain Moistures>20%
* Found commonly in corn

Mycotoxigenic Aspergillus and Penicillium sp. P i illi

A. flavus, A. parasiticus-aflatoxins * A. versicolor, A. nidulellus(nidulans), A. terreus, some members of the A. glaucus group- sterigmatocystin-most important mycotoxin in stored wheat and other cereals in Canada and N. USA * A. alutaceus var alutaceus (ochraceous), A. melleusochratoxins-warm to hot climates * A. f fumigatus-gliotoxin * P. verrucosum, P. viridicatum-ochratoxin-cooler climates * P. islandicum-islanditoxin, luteoskyrin , y P. rubrum-rubratoxins * Penicillium sp. citrinin, Penicillic acid, cyclopiazonic acid, penitrem A, patulin, citreoviridin, many others *
* Found in corn

Managing Mycotoxins
Anticipate based on weather Use resistant varieties where appropriate-corn, wheat Fungicides where appropriate-wheat scab Clean grain (can often reduce DON, aflatoxin by ~50%) 50%) Watch moisture-remember not average but individual seeds Sample-sample-more the better 12 truck loads-10 subsamples each: 0-230ppb aflatoxin Test when appropriate ELISA kits -quantitative Aflatoxins, zearalenone, DON, T-2, Fumonisins Immunoaffinity columns -quantitative Aflatoxins, zearalenone, DON, T-2, Fumonisins

Thank You & Happy Trails