Strategy to Mitigate Aflatoxin Contamination in African Maize

Scientists at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and United States Department of Agriculture have devised a strategy that could significantly reduce aflatoxin contamination in African maize. Aflatoxins are among the most potent carcinogens known to man. They are produced by species of the Aspergillus fungus, most notably A. flavus, in groundnuts, cassava, yam and maize. Each year aflatoxins cost African agriculture some USD 450 million, since agricultural products that have more than permissible levels of contamination are rejected in the global market.

The strategy that IITA developed makes use of atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains as biocontrol agents to out-compete and exclude aflatoxin-producing fungi. "Manipulation of the composition of fungal communities, in this case replacing high aflatoxin-producers with their cousins that do not produce aflatoxins so that high aflatoxin-producers are less common, is a viable approach for reducing aflatoxin contamination throughout all crops grown in a target area," says Ranajit Bandyopadhyay IITA scientist. Field trials of the biocontrol strategy in several sites in Nigeria showed 50 to 99 percent reduction in aflatoxin contamination in maize. According to Bandyopadhyay, the strategy can also be applied to reduce aflatoxin levels in other crops.

For more information, visit http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_summary.aspx?a=95&z=81