Grass and Forage Science最新文献

{"title":"Reseeding of a Long-Term Permanent Grassland With a Multi-Species Sward: 3. Mineral Concentration Effects","authors":"Jonathan E. Holland,&nbsp;Dario Fornara,&nbsp;Alan W. Gordon,&nbsp;J. David Patterson","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70050","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grasslands provide essential minerals to support livestock farming systems. Grassland plants provide minerals cost-effectively and help prevent nutrient-related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrient inputs and sward type on the mineral concentration of herbage. A long-term experiment with a permanent grassland (PG) sward was partially reseeded (i.e., half the plots) as a multi-species sward (MSS) to enable a comparison to PG. The PG and MSS plots were cut three times each year to represent a typical silage system. Nutrient treatments had a increasing effect on the mineral concentrations, apart from the concentration of Fe. Slurry rate increased the concentration of P, K, Cu and Zn, but a decreasing effect on the concentration of Ca. Slurry type effects varied in nature. Pig slurry increased the concentration of P, Na and Zn compared to the cow slurry, but the concentration of K and S was higher for cow than pig slurry. There was a lack of consistent sward type effect; however, the concentration of Ca, Na and Zn was higher for MSS compared to the PG sward. For all minerals there were large and significant year effects, although for macrominerals the highest concentration was in the autumn harvest cut. Thus, variability in mineral offtake was climate-dependent and is an ongoing challenge for grassland management. The MSS sward herbage had a decreased Tetany Index value compared to PG swards, which is positive for livestock health. These results identify opportunities to effect mineral composition via simple management practices which can improve the sustainability of grasslands.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147668225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating Sunn Hemp Intercropped in Tall Fescue Pastures for Summer Stocker Cattle Using Proximal and Satellite Sensing","authors":"Ellen M. Herring,&nbsp;Vandana Darapaneni,&nbsp;Bernardo M. Cândido,&nbsp;Joshua A. Tooley,&nbsp;John A. Lory,&nbsp;Robert L. Kallenbach,&nbsp;Harley D. Naumann","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70053","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tall fescue (TF, <i>Lolium arundinaceum</i> (Schreb.) Darbysh.) pasture productivity declines substantially during summer months due to elevated temperatures and reduced precipitation, presenting significant challenges to forage-based livestock systems. This study evaluated whether strategically timed nitrogen (TF+N, (TF, <i>Lolium arundinaceum</i> (Schreb.) Darbysh cv. BarOptima Plus E34) application or intercropping with the warm-season legume sunn hemp (SH, <i>Crotalaria juncea</i> (Linnaeus.); TF+SH) could enhance summer herbage accumulation, nutritive value, and cattle performance in TF pastures. Ground-based ultrasonic canopy sensors and satellite-derived vegetation indices (PlanetScope imagery) were integrated with machine learning models to predict biomass dynamics throughout the grazing season. Tall fescue fertilised with nitrogen significantly improved crude protein (CP) concentrations (12%–13% TF−N vs. 16%–17% TF+N; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and increased total seasonal forage yields, raising carrying capacity by approximately 29% (<i>p</i> = 0.0038) and body weight gain by 36% (<i>p</i> = 0.0128) compared to unfertilised controls. Sunn hemp improved late-summer forage quality with the greatest in vitro true digestibility during August and September (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) but did not increase cattle gains due to its short grazing window. Overall, strategic nitrogen application remains the most effective practice for sustaining TF productivity in stocker systems. However, sunn hemp intercropping provides a partial substitute to synthetic nitrogen inputs that may fit specific animal marketing strategies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147668878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance of Beef Cattle Under Grazing as Affected by Urochloa decumbens Cultivars","authors":"Gustavo José Braga,&nbsp;Allan Kardec Braga Ramos,&nbsp;Marcelo Ayres Carvalho,&nbsp;Claudio Takao Karia,&nbsp;Sanzio Carvalho Lima Barrios","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70052","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Testing animal performance under grazing is fundamental to determine the potential of recently released, high-yielding <i>Urochloa decumbens</i> hybrids. The objective was to evaluate the weight gain of young bulls grazing on pastures of <i>U. decumbens</i> cultivars Basilisk, BRS Carinás, and BRS Poraitê, as well as to assess the nutritive value and plant-part composition of the forage. The experiment was conducted over 2 years in a clay soil, using a randomized block design with three replicates. Pastures were managed under continuous stocking with a variable stocking rate (SR), aiming to maintain a canopy height of 25 cm. In contrast to the leaf blade and stem, the amount of dead material increased from the rainy to the early dry season, with Basilisk showing a greater mean value (1314 kg DM/ha), followed by Poraitê (1150 kg DM/ha) and Carinás (1127 kg DM/ha) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.10). Carinás and Poraitê had slightly greater crude protein (CP) (114 g/kg) compared to Basilisk (105 g/kg), particularly during the first year. Animals grazing Carinás had greater average daily gain (ADG) (0.62 kg LW) compared to Poraitê (0.54 kg LW), and similar performance to Basilisk (0.59 kg LW). In terms of live weight gain per area (GA), Carinás outperformed the other cultivars, reaching 406 kg LW/ha/year, compared to 359 and 358 kg LW/ha/year for Basilisk and Poraitê, respectively, due to the greater ADG and the increased SR observed during the rainy season. Carinás and Poraitê have potential for promoting cattle growth, owing to their comparable forage quality and plant-part composition to Basilisk. However, the superior live weight gain per area observed for Carinás demonstrates its greater carrying capacity, without compromising individual animal performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gfs.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147585096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Three Grassland Intensification Practices on Forage Production and Its Temporal Variability","authors":"Gonzalo Rama,&nbsp;Mariano Oyarzabal,&nbsp;Gervasio Piñeiro,&nbsp;Micaela Abrigo,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Piñeiro-Guerra,&nbsp;Santiago Baeza","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grassland intensification practices including, overseeding with exotic species and P fertilisation (hereafter ‘overseeding’), the replacement of natural grasslands by sowing perennial pastures (‘perennial pasture’) and the replacement of natural grassland by winter–spring forage crop (‘forage crop’), are widely used to enhance production in livestock systems. Most studies have evaluated the effects of these practices on forage production in ungrazed experimental plots using non-comparable protocols. To our knowledge, few studies have jointly assessed the effect of different intensification practices on forage production and its variability under a standardised protocol across grazed commercial paddocks. We evaluated the effect of these three intensification practices on forage production across 45 commercial farms located in the temperate grasslands of Uruguay. We quantified the mean annual Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), a proxy for forage production and its inter- and intra-annual variability. We compared grazed paired paddocks, consisting of a natural grassland and one of the three intensification practices, and expressed the effect of each practice relative to natural grassland. Mean annual EVI increased by 2% with overseeding, 3% with perennial pasture and 9% with forage crop. Inter-annual variability increased by 6% with overseeding, 19% with perennial pasture and 24% with forage crop. Intra-annual variability increased by 8% with overseeding and 22% with perennial pasture. In summary, forage production increased slightly under all intensification practices and variability increased more markedly. These findings highlight that while forage production can be enhanced by intensification, increased temporal variability may represent a challenge under future scenarios of more frequent extreme climatic events.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147653211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Grassland NDVI in Xinjiang","authors":"Chao Li,&nbsp;Guili Jin,&nbsp;Shengju Wang,&nbsp;Wenhao Liu,&nbsp;Wenxiong Li,&nbsp;Mengtian Chen,&nbsp;Wenlin Du,&nbsp;Yidilisi Yasen","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70035","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Long-term grassland monitoring in Xinjiang is crucial for understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of grassland growth and projecting future trends. It contributes to evaluating environmental pressures on grasslands and predicting their ecological health. This study, using Landsat-NDVI as the primary data source, employs univariate regression analysis, multivariate residual analysis, and the Hurst index to investigate changes in the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) of Xinjiang's grasslands from 1990 to 2022. The research explores annual-scale variations across 11 grassland types, evaluates the effects of climate and human activities, and predicts future trends in grassland dynamics. (1) From 1990 to 2022, the NDVI of Xinjiang's grasslands exhibited a fluctuating yet overall increasing trend. Spatially, NDVI values showed a decreasing pattern from mountainous regions to basins. Areas with significant NDVI increases accounted for 71.21% of the total area, whilst those with significant decreases represented only 0.33%. Amongst the grassland types, marshlands had the highest NDVI growth rate at 1.26 × 10⁻²a⁻¹, whilst temperate desertified grasslands had the lowest growth rate at 0.18 × 10⁻²a⁻¹. (2) Between 1990 and 2022, the increase in NDVI across most grasslands in Xinjiang was primarily driven by the combined effects of climate change and human activities, which accounted for 87.48% of the total influence. Specifically, human activities have contributed more significantly to changes in NDVI than climate change, exceeding 70% in most grassland types. However, in the Alpine grassland and Alpine desert, the contribution of human activities was relatively lower compared to other types. The NDVI of grasslands in Xinjiang is projected to increase in most areas, covering 88.64% of the region. The overall outlook is positive, with grasslands expected to remain largely stable or show signs of restoration. (3) In the future, the NDVI of grasslands in Xinjiang is anticipated to increase in most areas, accounting for 88.64%, with an overall positive outlook characterised by stability and recovery. Temperate desert grasslands, alpine deserts, and marshlands are expected to show NDVI increases in more than 90% of their areas. However, for the Mountain meadow and Alpine meadow, over 20% of the areas are projected to experience either a decline or unpredictable changes in NDVI. These regions should be prioritised in future grassland management and conservation strategies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147653208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological, Morphological and Genetic Mechanisms of Desert Plants to Drought and Salt Stress","authors":"Jiashuo Jin,&nbsp;Yonggang Yang,&nbsp;Guohua Wang,&nbsp;Qianqian Gou","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70043","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Water scarcity and soil salinisation are becoming increasingly severe in desert regions. With extreme changes in global climate, desert plants are at an increased risk of drought and salt stress, as well as combined salt-drought stress. Desert plants have developed a series of adaptive mechanisms to withstand the multiple effects of drought and salt stress. In this review, we summarise the physiological, morphological, and genetic adaptations of desert trees, shrubs, and herbs under drought stress, salt stress, and combinations thereof. Physiological adaptations include osmotic regulators such as proline, soluble sugars, and soluble proteins, whereas antioxidant enzymes include superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. These adaptive mechanisms are primarily reflected in the phenotypic plasticity of roots, stems and leaves. Genetic adaptations to salt and drought stress include the expression of regulatory and functional genes that increase drought and salt tolerance. Based on a comprehensive compilation and analysis of relevant literature, we expect future research to focus on the details of drought and salt tolerance mechanisms in desert plants. This type of research can offer a scientific basis for the restoration of desert plants and the maintenance of stable ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147653250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grazing Management and Dietary Supplementation Modulate Rumen Fermentation and Methane Production in Forage-Based Livestock Systems","authors":"Solange G. Holschuch,&nbsp;Alyce Monteiro,&nbsp;Vinicius Grillo,&nbsp;Paulo C. S. Santos,&nbsp;Otávio G. Almeida,&nbsp;Fagner J. Gomes,&nbsp;Adibe L. Abdalla,&nbsp;Carlos G. S. Pedreira","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70047","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Assessing the effectiveness of grazing management and anti-methanogenic dietary supplements on tropical pastures is crucial for sustainable livestock production and methane (CH₄) mitigation. This study aimed to: (1) compare forage mass, plant part composition, and nutritive value of ‘Mulato II’ hybrid brachiariagrass (<i>Urochloa</i> spp.) managed under continuous (C) or rotational stocking with lenient (RL) or moderate (RM) defoliation at 20 and 30 cm; and (2) evaluate the effects of these strategies combined with supplementation (Control, Nitrate + elemental sulfur [NS], soybean oil [SO], corn bran [CB], and SO + CB) on fermentation kinetics and CH₄ production. The C20 and RL20 treatments showed superior nutritive value—631 g kg⁻¹ of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), 144 g kg⁻¹ of crude protein (CP), and 591 g kg⁻¹ of NDF degradability (NDFd)—and the highest Partition Factor (PF), but produced more CH₄ (6.3 mL g⁻¹ dNDF). Conversely, RM30 forage had greater NDF (662 g kg⁻¹ DM), less CP (100 g kg⁻¹ DM), and lower NDFd (550 g kg⁻¹), resulting in the least methane production (5.5 mL g⁻¹ dNDF). All supplementations reduced CH₄ compared to the control. Additive effects in SO + CB increased NDFd (614 g kg⁻¹) and reduced CH₄ by 29.5% without affecting ammonia nitrogen (NH₃–N). NS had greater NH₃–N (54 mg dL⁻¹) and reduced CH₄ by 93.2% but decreased NDFd (505 g kg⁻¹). Optimising forage quality (C20 and RL20) combined with NS or SO + CB provides the best integrated mitigation strategy.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147653249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Main Drivers of Forage Sensitivity to Droughts of Increasing Duration in Rangelands","authors":"Viviana F. Bondaruk,&nbsp;Gastón R. Oñatibia,&nbsp;Roberto J. Fernández,&nbsp;Pablo Peri,&nbsp;R. Emiliano Quiroga,&nbsp;Guadalupe Peter,&nbsp;Martín Bruschetti,&nbsp;Alejandro Loydi,&nbsp;Jesús Pascual,&nbsp;Walter Agüero,&nbsp;Lisandro Blanco,&nbsp;Laura Yahdjian","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70034","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rangelands are vital ecosystems with high biodiversity that provide forage for livestock and help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. However, they are increasingly threatened by more frequent and intense drought events. Understanding the key factors influencing forage sensitivity to droughts of varying durations is essential for promoting sustainable livestock production. In this study, we analysed data from multiyear drought experiments conducted across nine contrasting rangeland sites, spanning arid to humid environmental conditions. Our findings reveal that climatic variables related to water availability are the primary drivers of forage sensitivity to drought, regardless of its duration. However, biotic factors, such as plant richness and the proportion of grasses, play a particularly important role in determining sensitivity to prolonged droughts. These results offer novel insights into how rangeland forage production responds to droughts of different lengths across diverse environmental gradients. Our study advances the understanding of rangeland vulnerability to climate change and underscores the importance of species diversity in buffering the impacts of drought.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short-Term Relocation of Whole-Plant Corn Silage Does Not Alter Performance and Digestibility in Lambs","authors":"Rita de Cássia Almeida de Mendonça,&nbsp;Marcus Vinicius Santa Brígida Cardoso,&nbsp;Amanda Caroliny Marques Queiroz,&nbsp;Andreza Santos Amoras,&nbsp;Camilo Guimarães Rodrigues Cruz,&nbsp;Davide Rondina,&nbsp;Thiago Fernandes Bernardes,&nbsp;Cristian Faturi,&nbsp;Thiago Carvalho da Silva,&nbsp;Aníbal Coutinho do Rêgo","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70048","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gfs.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The current study evaluated the relocation effect on whole-plant corn silage (WPCS), inoculated or not, on fermentation profile, aerobic stability (AS), nutrient digestibility, and lamb's performance. Corn was ensiled in 40 experimental silos (210 L) using a completely randomised design. Silos were stored for 90 day and the treatments were: silage without inoculants (WI) and without relocation (SISR), WI silage and relocation (SIR), silage inoculated with <i>Lentilactobacillus buchneri</i> and relocation (LBR), and silage inoculated with <i>L. buchneri</i> + <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> and relocation (LBLPR). Silages were exposed to air for 24 h, repacked and stored another 90 day. Twenty-four Santa Inês lambs (17.4 ± 2.0 kg) were used for digestibility and 36 (20.9 ± 2.0 kg) for performance assays. The SISR group had higher filamentous fungi, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts. SIR had lower filamentous fungi and LAB counts and lactic acid (LA) concentrations than LBR and LBLPR. LBLPR had a higher LAB count and LA concentration than LBR. The AS and time, in h, for the maximum temperature (TM) of the silages and diets were lower in the SISR. SIR had a lower AS than LBR and LBLPR, whereas LBR had a lower AS than LBLPR. Except for non-fibrous carbohydrates, nutrient intake was higher for SIR than SISR diets. The treatments didn't affect digestibility, nitrogen balance, or performance. The performance of lambs fed relocated WPCS was not affected when the silage was exposed for 24 h during relocation, independent of microbial inoculation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gfs.70048","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and Dynamics of Toxigenic Fungi in Forage Before and After Fermentation for Silage Production, and Their Correlation With Detected Mycotoxins","authors":"Amal Mannai,&nbsp;Noura Omri Ben Youssef,&nbsp;Hichem Ben Salem","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Silage is susceptible to fungal contamination, which can reduce its nutritional value and produce harmful mycotoxins. The aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of toxigenic fungi in silage before and after fermentation of forage biomass and their correlation with the mycotoxins detected. A total of 243 samples of green forage and silage were collected from 27 dairy farm silos at harvest (P1) and after 60 (P2) and 100 days (P3) of fermentation. Samples were taken from the top, middle and bottom of the silo and mixed to obtain representative samples of the whole silo. Fungal identification was based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, while mycotoxin analysis used QuEChERS extraction followed by GC–MS/MS and LC–MS/MS analysis. The study revealed differences (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) in fungal colony forming unit counts between silos and genera over the three sampling periods, with 40% of samples exceeding the safe fungal level (10,000 CFU/g). <i>Fusarium</i> sp., <i>Penicillium</i> sp., <i>Aspergillus</i> sp., <i>Verticillium</i> sp. and <i>Cladosporium</i> sp. were the dominant genera. Significant changes in fungal dynamics occurred before and after biomass fermentation. Of the 26 mycotoxins tested, <i>Fusarium</i>-related mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol, HT-2 toxin, enniatin A1, enniatin B, enniatin B1, beauvericin and tentoxin were detected at varying concentrations. Principal component analysis revealed temporal changes in fungal and mycotoxin profiles, with <i>Fusarium</i> colony forming unit positively correlating with deoxynivalenol and HT-2 toxin in P1; deoxynivalenol, enniatin B, tentoxin, beauvericin and zearalenone in P2; and deoxynivalenol and enniatin B in P3. The results highlight the need for continuous silage monitoring to control fungal and mycotoxin contamination and to ensure feed safety.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147320753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}