Occurrence of Fusarium species and zearalenone in dairy cattle feeds in Vojvodina.

The occurrence of Fusarium spp. and zearalenone (F-2 toxin) in dairy cattle feeds was studied during a period of three years (in all seasons) in Vojvodina. Fusarium species were found to be very common in feeds. They were classified into 11 different species (F. chlamydosporum, F. equiseti, F. flocciferum, F. graminearum, F. lateritium, F. moniliforme, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, F. solani, F. tabacinum and F. tricinctum). Some of these species are known to produce mycotoxins. The highest distribution of Fusarium spp. was observed in the autumn and spring of the second research year, when 53 and 56% of the feed samples, respectively, were contaminated with them. F. oxysporum and F. moniliforme were the most prevalent species throughout the three-year study. Zearalenone was found in various feed samples at concentrations between 140.00 and 960.00 micrograms/kg in all seasons, except in the summer of the first year, in the winter of the second year and in the autumn of the third research year. Pelleted sugar beet pulp and pelleted malt spent grains were the feeds most contaminated with this toxin. Thirty-five out of the 275 feed samples contained zearalenone and 11 of them were contaminated with zearalenone-producing moulds and zearalenone at the same time.