Grain Treatment: The First Line of Defense Against Mould and Mycotoxins

Feed is the single largest cost in pig production, and grain is usually its biggest component. Protecting grain quality from the moment it enters storage is one of the most effective, yet often overlooked, steps a producer can take. 

Grain quality only moves in one direction after harvest: 

Cereal grain is at its best the moment it is harvested. From there, respiration, microbial growth and oxidation work against it, and any damage from drying or handling adds to the risk. Storage cannot improve grain quality, actually it can only protect what is already there. 

Prevention is the smartest strategy: 

Mould grows when moisture, oxygen and the right temperature come together, conditions that are common in stored grain, even when it looks and tests dry. Once mold takes hold, it can lower feeding value and lead to the formation of mycotoxins. Tools exist to help manage mycotoxins once they are present in feed but avoiding that contamination in the first place is always the more efficient and reliable path. That is why prevention, starting with the grain itself, deserves priority in any feed safety program. 

The concept behind grain treatment: 

Treating grain as it enters storage means applying a mold inhibitor that keeps the grain surface inhospitable to fungal growth. Rather than reacting once mold appears, this approach protects the grain from the very start of the storage period, helping preserve its nutritional value and reducing the opportunity for mycotoxins to form later stages. 

 This is the principle behind Kemin's Myco CURB® product range, formulated to protect grain as it goes into storage, each suited to different storage needs and conditions. 

 Conclusion: 

 Grain quality is highest at harvest and can only decline from there. Storage mould needs only moisture, oxygen and a suitable temperature, and can develop in pockets even inside grain that test dry. Because mycotoxins cannot be removed once formed, treating grain as it enters storage remains the most reliable point of intervention, protecting both feed value and the performance of the animals that depend on it.