Occurrence of major mycotoxins in noncorn forages for dairy cattle: A survey of silages and hays from Italian farms

The occurrence of mycotoxins in ruminant feeds has been traditionally linked to corn silage, but alternative forages such as cereal straw, grass silages, sorghum, and legume hays may also contribute to exposure. We investigated the main regulated mycotoxins in 977 forage samples from Italian farms, including 642 silages (wheat, grasses, sorghum) and 335 hays (wheat straw, grasses, alfalfa). Samples were analyzed for deoxynivalenol, zearalenone (ZEN), and total fumonisins (FUM) using accredited methods. Noncorn forages were not exempt from contamination, showing variable prevalence and concentrations depending on forage type and botanical origin. Deoxynivalenol was the most prevalent, ZEN showed moderate prevalence with rising concentrations in recent years, and FUM occurred less frequently but with occasional and not significant high levels. These findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring of all forage types, suggesting that mycotoxin risk assessment in dairy diets should extend beyond corn silage.