Fumonisin is one of the most overlooked mycotoxins in dairy production, and its impact goes beyond immune suppression. In this episode, Dr. Larry Roth explains how fumonisin disrupts cell-to-cell communication in the gut (often called quorum sensing), which plays a critical role in gut integrity, immune function, liver health, and respiratory resilience. Learn why this mycotoxin is increasingly more common, why many binders fall short, and how targeted testing and smarter mitigation can help explain inconsistent herd performance.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform

💬 Have thoughts or a story to share? Email podcast@agrsol.com.

🔗 Stay informed: Get expert livestock nutrition insights, cutting-edge research, and updates on future episodes by subscribing here: agrariansolutions.com/podcast

Social Links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RuminateThis
YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@agrariansolutions5557
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Website: https://agrariansolutions.com/

Got a Question or want free Mycotoxin Testing? Send us a Message!!

Zeralanone is often labeled a reproductive mycotoxin, but that barely scratches the surface. This reproductive mycotoxin, is an estrogen imposter that disrupts fertility, immunity, liver function, and overall metabolic stability.

In this episode, Dr. Larry Roth explains why zearalenone is fat-soluble, how it can be stored and released during post-calving fat mobilization, and why its metabolites may be even more damaging than the parent toxin.

Learn how it contributes to cystic ovaries, early embryonic loss, cows showing heat signs while pregnant, and inconsistent reproduction, as well as why some traditional binders can make things worse.

If pregnancy rates aren’t matching expectations, this episode shows why zearalenone could be the hidden disruptor and how targeted protection like DTX helps prevent absorption before damage occurs.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform

💬 Have thoughts or a story to share? Email podcast@agrsol.com.

🔗 Stay informed: Get expert livestock nutrition insights, cutting-edge research, and updates on future episodes by subscribing here: agrariansolutions.com/podcast

Social Links:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RuminateThis

YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@agrariansolutions5557

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrarian-solutions/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AgrarianSolutions

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/agrariansolutions/

Website: https://agrariansolutions.com/

Got a Question or want free Mycotoxin Testing? Send us a Message!!

In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr is joined by Dr. Larry Roth (VP of Nutrition, Agrarian Solutions) for a discussion about DON (deoxynivalenol/vomitoxin)—one of the most common and most misunderstood mycotoxins in dairy rations.

Rather than causing an obvious crash every time, DON often works like a “pause button” on rumen microbes. It doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria, it slows microbial function and disrupts fermentation, reducing the cow’s ability to convert the TMR into energy and microbial protein. The result can be a quiet, cascading problem: lower feed efficiency, reduced intake, erratic manure, and performance erosion that shows up long after the damage begins.

Scott and Larry discuss how DON can:

• Disrupt rumen microbial balance by interfering with protein synthesis and slowing fermentation
• Push undigested nutrients “down the river” into the hindgut, leading to undesired hindgut fermentation
• Create signs that look like acidosis, when the real issue may be hindgut acidosis driven by poor rumen breakdown
• Weaken gut barrier integrity, increasing permeability and contributing to leaky gut
• Trigger immune activation and force nutrient reallocation, pulling glucose and energy away from milk and reproduction to support inflammation control
• Compound other stressors, making DON a major player in stacked inflammation

They also discuss why the same DON ppm level can hit two herds very differently, and why ongoing mycotoxin testing can help connect the dots before a slow decline turns into a full-blown crisis.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this really rumen acidosis… or something else?” This episode will change how you diagnose digestive, immune, and performance problems in high-producing dairy cows.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform

💬 Have thoughts or a story to share? Email podcast@agrsol.com.

🔗 Stay informed: Get expert livestock nutrition insights, cutting-edge research, and updates on future episodes by subscribing here: agrariansolutions.com/podcast

Social Links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RuminateThis
YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@agrariansolutions5557
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrarian-solutions/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AgrarianSolutions
Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/agrariansolutions/
Website: https://agrariansolutions.com/

Got a Question or want free Mycotoxin Testing? Send us a Message!!