Are Mycotoxins Hiding in Your Organic Corn? Penn State Launches Farmer Survey

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by fungi that cause ear rots in corn and are a persistent concern for feed quality, animal health, and farm profitability. In Pennsylvania, Gibberella ear rot is particularly common and can lead to contamination with deoxynivalenol (DON, or vomitoxin) and zearalenone, but we also recognize a risk of other mycotoxins of concern, especially as weather becomes increasingly variable.

While mycotoxin contamination affects all corn production, organic producers face unique challenges related to how organic production practices affect mycotoxin risk and what (if any) tools may reduce the impact of mycotoxin contamination in these production systems.  It's also important to know that some "hidden" or modified mycotoxins—like 3-acetyl DON and 15-acetyl DON—are not always included in routine tests. These can still add to the total toxin levels in feed. As a result, dairy herds may show reduced performance even when standard test results (such as DON levels) appear safe.

To address these questions, we are launching a new survey to fill knowledge gaps related to mycotoxins and organic corn production systems. Thanks to support from Penn State Extension, we will offer corn grain and silage producers the opportunity to submit samples (corn grain or corn silage) for a complete mycotoxin profile.

What counties are we initially targeting?

Based on the number of certified organic corn producers in Pennsylvania, our initial sampling and testing is targeting 100 organic corn grain and silage producers across 11 Pennsylvania counties. The counties include Berks, Centre, Chester, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Somerset, and Union. Nonetheless, recognizing the importance of this issue, we will also consider samples from other counties; in those cases, please contact us to discuss this opportunity further.

What do we ask of you?

First, we invite you to contact us, either directly or through your local educator, to indicate your willingness to participate in the survey. We will then provide specific guidelines on the types of samples needed, depending on whether they are grain or silage samples.

Second, if requested, we can also help by visiting your farm to collect the sample either in the field or in storage. Please indicate that when contacting us.

Finally, we ask that you complete a brief production survey for each sample to provide information about its origin (we have kept this short and simple). This helps us understand potential risk factors across the organic corn production systems that may affect mycotoxin risk. We will accept samples from 2025 and 2026 crop years.

What will you receive?

We will submit samples for testing on a panel of all major regulated mycotoxins, as well as important modified forms. Survey data on hybrid selection, crop rotation, insect pressure, and harvest and storage practices will allow our team to explore which production and management factors are associated with mycotoxin risk. Initially, we will provide each participant with a written report of the findings and recommendations, depending on the results.

And long term?

Overall, our aim with this project is to develop a baseline database of the potential impact of mycotoxins in organic grain and silage, which can support future research, inform management recommendations, and improve organic corn grain production in Pennsylvania.

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to reach out to any of our team at:

Paul Esker, Email: pde6@psu.edu, Telephone: 814-865-0680

Adriana Murillo Williams, Email: axm1119@psu.edu, Telephone: 814-359-7483

Alyssa Collins, Email: collins@psu.edu, Telephone: 717-653-4728

James Lawhead, Email: jbl5606@psu.edu, Telephone: 717-275-5388