Mean and median* concentrations of Absidia corymbifera, Eurotium amstelodami, and Wallemia sebi in batches of hay in farms at risk according to harvesting and storage criteria (n = 71)
| Criteria | A corymbifera | E amstelodami | W sebi | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) | Median (range) | p value | Mean (SD) | Median (range) | p value | Mean (SD) | Median (range) | p value | |
| *103 cfu/g. | |||||||||
| †Conditions which could prevent drying were rain during harvest and soil in the hay due to numerous tumuli caused by the proliferation of voles. | |||||||||
| NS, not significant. | |||||||||
| Harvesting conditions | |||||||||
| Good | 1.04 (8.9) | 1.20 (0–56.5) | <0.001 | 10.79 (4.5) | 8.70 (0.7–100.5) | 0.02 | 9.06 (19.5) | 13.33 (0–1706) | 0.38 NS |
| Bad† | 5.01 (3.3) | 5.75 (0.2–43) | 31.19 (4.7) | 35.00 (1.6–556) | 7.09 (26.3) | 5.55 (0–1574) | |||
| Hay packing mode | |||||||||
| Cylindrical bales | 2.38 (5.8) | 2.48 (0–43) | 0.06 NS | 18.28 (4.9) | 24.55 (0.7–556) | 0.14 NS | 7.19 (18.6) | 8.77 (0–1706) | 0.28 NS |
| Bulk | 0.76 (13.2) | 1.20 (0–56.5) | 9.55 (4.5) | 6.84 (0.8–72.5) | 12.76 (31.8) | 26.91 (0–429.5) | |||
| Storage location | |||||||||
| Beside cowshed | 1.87 (8.5) | 2.20 (0–56.5) | 0.33 NS | 16.10 (5.1) | 24.38 (0.7–556) | 0.60 NS | 5.80 (19.8) | 10.26 (0–456) | 0.03 |
| Above cowshed | 1.30 (3.9) | 1.90 (0.2–10.2) | 12.16 (3.8) | 10.89 (2.7–142.2) | 70.14 (14.4) | 146.56 (0–1706) | |||
| Hay type | |||||||||
| First crop | 2.10 (6.3) | 2.35 (0–43) | 0.34 NS | 21.18 (4.6) | 30.76 (0.9–556) | 0.03 | 6.90 (30) | 12.00 (0–1574) | 0.82 NS |
| Second crop | 1.28 (11.1) | 1.35 (0–56.5) | 8.37 (4.8) | 10.09 (0.7–74.6) | 12.10 (9.5) | 13.30 (250–1706) | |||