[5 years ofFusaria and mycotoxin monitoring - any use for practice?]

Since 1999 the harvest of grain in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been investigated yearly as to its Fusaria infection rate and contamination with mycotoxins. 376 samples, most of them winter wheat, were tested for the mycotoxins zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in 1999-2003. The investigations were carried out with an ELISA; some results were confirmed by a chromatographic method (HPLC). In 2002 the Fusaria infection rate was graded as moderate (17,4%), in the other years as low (max. 9%). Zearalenone was detected only in 2,7% of the samples (max.236 μg/kg). 9,6% of samples contained deoxynivalenol (max. 1,2 mg/kg). Therefore the mycotoxin contamination in grain, harvested in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1999-2003 and the risk for consumers and animals as well is thought to be low. These results should help the farmers to understand that mycotoxins are not necessarily the sole cause of depressions in yield and loss of animals. It should be possible to avoid a false interpretation of mycotoxin findings.