ABSTRACT
Animals feeds are composed, basically, of grains, which are excellent sources of energy. However, the quality of the feed can be harmed due to the presence of microorganisms. The aim of this research was to verify the incidence of filamentous fungi in different feeds destined for the feeding of capybaras, in an experimental field of the EMBRAPA-Terras Baixas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. The food samples were collected from storage buckets and hods used for feeding the capybaras, from the growth and reproduction sectors, and, moreover, a sample of sorghum panicles was collected from the field. The study analyzed four samples of corn grains, five impure samples with rice peels, one impure sample of rice with corn, one sample of weeds and one of sorghum panicles. A total of 160 corn grains were used for each sample and 400 units for the other materials, with incubation at 25º C for seven days. The identification of the fungi was accomplished through optical and stereoscopical microscopy. The most frequently identified genera were Rhizopus, Penicillium. Aspergillus and Mucor, indicating an incidence of up to 100%. The smaller frequencies presented pertained to the genera Gilmaniella spp., Chaetomium spp., Memnoniella spp., Fusarium spp.,Humicola spp. and Idriela spp. with values less than 1.5%. The greatest incidence of fungi occurred in the weed lots and in all the impure lots of rice with peel.
KEY WORDS
Hydrochaelis hydrochaelis
; fungi; grains; feeds