Analysis of fermentation quality and mycotoxin content of mixed silage of whole quinoa and whole corn

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different proportions of whole plant quinoa and whole plant corn in a mixed silage on the fermentation quality and mycotoxin content of the silage. Eleven mixed-ratio silages containing whole plant quinoa and whole plant corn were set in this study. The mass ratio of whole plant quinoa to whole-plant corn was 0 ꞉ 10, 1 ꞉ 9, 2 ꞉ 8, 3 ꞉ 7, 4 ꞉ 6, 5 ꞉ 5, 6 ꞉ 4, 7 ꞉ 3, 8 ꞉ 2, 9 ꞉ 1, and 10 ꞉ 0 in mixed silages. After 60 days of fermentation, the mixed silages were sampled to perform sensory evaluations and fermentation quality analyses and determine the contents of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), zearalenone (ZEN), deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin (OTA) and T-2 toxin. The results showed that with increases in the quinoa ratio, the sensory score and crude protein of the silage increased, the lactic acid content initially decreased and then increased, the pH, ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen, and fungal colony number decreased, and the mycotoxin content decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the other treatments, when the proportion of quinoa added to mixed silage was greater than or equal to 70%, the pH and ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen were significantly lower (P < 0.05), the crude protein and lactic acid contents were significantly higher (P < 0.05), the mold colony number was 1～2 orders of magnitude lower, and the mycotoxin content also obviously decreased. In conclusion, when the proportion of whole quinoa in mixed silage is at least 70%, the mixed silage quality is increased; thus, such amendments can be regarded as ideal.