Video: Accuracy in testing for DON
Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin naturally produced by the fungus that causes Gibberella ear rot in corn. Infection occurs through the corn silk channel when ideal temperatures (approx. 27°C) and higher humidity are present. Cool wet conditions after pollination favour continual disease development and determines the level of infection. Effective sampling, detection, and quantification of DON are challenging due to its uneven distribution on the ear as well as its presence across the field, resulting in infected and non-infected kernels in the same grain sample.