Farmers and elevator managers should check corn in storage, because temperatures were optimal for mold growth early this storage season.
Moisture conditions throughout the growing season varied by location, but the state saw temperatures in the high 80s and even 90° causing some concern.
"One of the concerns I have is the fact that the corn has been sitting relatively dry at high temperatures, but some at 16-17% moisture hasn't gone through the dryer and that can cause mold growth, particularly blue eye mold," says Dirk Maier, Purdue Extension post-harvest grain quality expert.
Blue eye mold is the discoloration of a corn kernel caused by the production of blue-green fungal spores. Two groups of fungi usually cause blue eye, Aspergillus glaucus or a species of Penicillium.
The presence of blue eye mold indicates that something went wrong in the grain storage process, Maier said.
Continue reading the rest of this article on the Purdue/Ohio State Agriculture Extension website
