Pennsylvania Urges Wheat Farms to Test for Toxin

Pennsylvania is urging wheat farmers with poor crops to test for a fungus-related toxin as a first step toward filing a crop insurance claim.

Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff says producers with low-yield or low-quality crops should contact their crop insurance agent or adjuster immediately to sample for the presence of a mycotoxin that has affected grains in other states.

Cool and wet conditions this growing season have created an environment where mycotoxins can thrive. The toxins are emitted from certain fungi that remain from previous growing seasons.

“Wheat crops that farmers suspect could be compromised due to the wet growing conditions must be sampled for mycotoxin by a crop insurance adjuster while it’s still in the field, to the extent possible,” Wolff said. “This is a necessary step for producers who have crop insurance to file a claim.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture