Change of fungi and mycotoxin in hulled barley under different conditions and period

To establish good storage practices for hulled barley against mycotoxin contamination, we measured occurrence of fungi and mycotoxin in hulled barley grains under various storage conditions. Hulled barley grains collected from two places were stored in five different warehouses: 1) two without temperature control, 2) one with temperature controlled at 12°C, 3) a chamber set at 15°C/65% relative humidity, and 4) one seed storage set at 10°C. The samples were stored for six month with temperature and relative humidity monitored regularly. Every stored samples were retrieved after 0, 1, 3, and 6 month to investigate fungal and mycotoxin contamination. From the stored grains, Fusarium, Epicoccum, Alternaria, and Drechslera spp. were frequently detected. In the warehouses without temperature control, Fusarium and Alternaria spp. constantly decreased, whereas Drechslera spp. increased along with storage period. In the other warehouses with temperature controlled, Fusarium spp. decreased slowly and more than 2.5 log CFU/g of Fusarium spp. were detected after 6 month storage. The level of nivalenol was maintained during 0-3 month but increased after 6 month storage. There was no difference in the nivalenol levels between the warehouses. Therefore reducing storage period less than 6 months could be more effective to control nivalenol contamination in hulled barley grains.