Snow stalls corn harvest in some U.S. states

Neogen’s regular Monday Mycotoxin and Crop Reports may have wrapped up for the year (except for our Capstone Report — stay tuned), but we wanted to sneak in another update for the 2018 harvest season.

Overall corn harvest in the U.S. and Canada is about 94% complete, just two points behind the five-year average. States buried under the snow are still behind, however, leaving grain cold and wet.

North Dakota has 80% of its corn harvested, 13 points below its five-year average of 93%. South Dakota sits at 90% completion, seven points behind its five-year average. Pennsylvania is 82% finished with harvest, with a five-year average of 89%, and Ohio is at 86% with a five-year average of 93%.

Experts predict we could see further development of the mycotoxin DON, as well as related toxins like zearalenone and T-2/HT-2, due to weather conditions in these areas. Operations that handle corn or feed ingredients will need to be cautious going forward and employ a proactive testing program to manage the effects of mycotoxin development.

In Neogen’s upcoming Capstone Report, we’ll focus on the risks this year and how operations can mitigate the effect of any mycotoxins they may see. Expect that video in early December — you can subscribe to our mailing list for mycotoxin updates here so you don’t miss it.

Neogen offers a comprehensive range of mycotoxin test kits to detect DON, zearalenone, T-2/HT-2 and other mycotoxins. Look for more information on our website.