Management framework for pre-harvest mycotoxin risk reduction in corn
Innovative field-to-wet mill mycotoxin risk management framework for corn, integrating crop management, weather data, and mycotoxin testing to enhance grain quality assurance and reduce risk.
Overview
The proposed management framework aims to revolutionize mycotoxin risk reduction in corn by integrating pre-harvest risk detection with grain quality assurance processes. This field-to-wet mill approach links critical corn management decisions with practical risk categories, facilitating harvest prioritization and quality assurance for co-product streams. By addressing risk factors such as planting date, hybrid maturity, and environmental stressors, the framework minimizes the chances of fungal infections, ensuring corn enters the supply chain as low-risk silage or grain.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Utilizes planting date x relative maturity trials to assess crop phenology and stress exposure.
- Integrates weather-based stress indicators and insect/disease scouting with mycotoxin testing.
- Generates risk categories for fields and sourcing regions to guide decision-making.
- Supports targeted sampling, rapid screening, and segregation decisions to protect wet-mill co-products.
The framework's experimental basis involves controlled trials to quantify impacts on crop phenology and mycotoxin accumulation, providing actionable insights for corn management.
Technology readiness level
Currently at Technology Readiness Level 5, this framework has been validated through experimental trials and is ready for further development through co-development partnerships. Future validation includes comprehensive field trials to refine the decision framework and enhance its practical applicability.
About University of Wisconsin, Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is the state’s flagship public research university, a comprehensive institution with a large research enterprise and broad disciplinary breadth. Industry engages through shared instrumentation, pilot‑scale testbeds, and co-located core facilities that support prototyping and scale-up. An affiliated research and technology park hosts startups and corporate R&D, while integration with a major hospital system enables clinical translation; a statewide extension network connects campus advances to companies and communities across Wisconsin. Research is sustained by competitive federal funding from agencies such as NIH, NSF, DOE, USDA, and DoD, alongside state and industry partnerships. Dedicated commercialization support—through an affiliated foundation and campus offices—provides IP management, licensing, startup mentoring, and flexible, industry-friendly agreements.
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