The AgResults Nigeria Aflasafe TM Challenge Project: 2019 Annual Report

This report documents the key activities that were carried under the AgResults Aflasafe Pilot Project during the 2018/ 2019 maize-growing season on the verification process to trigger premium payments for successfully harvested and aggregated Aflasafe™-treated maize

Influence of wounding and temperature on resistance of maize landraces from Mexico to aflatoxin contamination

Open Access journal; Published online: 24 Sept 2020Maize is a staple for billions across the globe. However, in tropical and sub-tropical regions, maize is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi. There is an ongoing search for sources of aflatoxin resistance in maize to reduce continuous exposures of human populations to those dangerous mycotoxins. Large variability in susceptibility to aflatoxin contamination exists within maize germplasm. In Mexico, several maize landrace (MLR) accessions possess superior resistance to both Aspergillus infection and aflatoxin contamination but their mechanisms of resistance have not been reported. Influences of kernel integrity on resistance of four resistant and four susceptible MLR accessions were evaluated in laboratory assays. Wounds significantly (P 0.05) proportionally support higher aflatoxin accumulation suggesting differential influences by some resistance factors between sporulation and aflatoxin biosynthesis. Physical barriers (i.e., wax and cuticle) prevented both aflatoxin accumulation and A. flavus sporulation in a highly resistant MLR accession. In addition, influence of temperature on aflatoxin contamination was evaluated in both viable and non-viable kernels of a resistant and a susceptible MLR accession, and a commercial hybrid. Both temperature and living embryo status influenced (P < 0.05) resistance to both aflatoxin accumulation and A. flavus sporulation. Lower sporulation on MLR accessions suggests their utilization would result in reduced speed of propagation and associated epidemic increases in disease both in the field and throughout storage. Results from the current study should encourage researchers across the globe to exploit the large potential that MLRs offer to breed for aflatoxin resistant maize. Furthermore, the studies provide support to the importance of resistance based on the living host and maintaining living status to reducing episodes of post-harvest contamination

Comments on "Trial summary on the comparison of various non-aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus on Mycotoxin levels and yield in maize" by M.S. Molo, et al. Agron. J. 111:942-946 (2019)

Open Access Article; Published online: 05 Sept 201

Aflatoxin biocontrol in practice requires a multidisciplinary, long-term approach

Open Access JournalOne of the most elusive food safety problems is the contamination of staple crops with the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi. Governments, farmers, institutions, consumers, and companies demand aflatoxin solutions. Many aflatoxin management technologies exist, but their real-life use and effectiveness is determined by diverse factors. Biocontrol products based on atoxigenic isolates of A. flavus can effectively reduce aflatoxins from field to fork. However, development, testing, and registration of this technology is a laborious process. Further, several barriers prevent the sustainable use of biocontrol products. There are challenges to have the products accepted, to make them available at scale and develop mechanisms for farmers to buy them, to have the products correctly used, to demonstrate their value, and to link farmers to buyers of aflatoxin-safe crops. Developing an effective aflatoxin management technology is the first, major step. The second one, perhaps more complicated and unfortunately seldomly discussed, is to develop mechanisms to have it used at scale, sustainably, and converged with other complementary technologies. Here, challenges and actions to scale the aflatoxin biocontrol technology in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa are described with a view to facilitating aflatoxin management efforts in Africa and beyond

Addressing another threat to food safety: conflict

Open Access JournalSocietal Impact Statement The conflict between Ukraine and Russia will negatively affect not only food security but also food safety. Crops produced in Ukraine and Russia are at little risk of contamination by mycotoxins such as aflatoxin. However, due to the conflict, wheat, maize, sunflower, and other crops that would have been produced in and exported from Ukraine will need to be produced somewhere else. If done in warm production areas, strategies will need to be implemented to prevent mycotoxin contamination, which has negative health, social, and economic impacts. Summary Conflicts across the globe affect food security and also have a heavy toll on food safety. Many of the areas affected by conflict are breadbaskets for multiple countries. When the production of staple crops is compromised by diverse conflicts, it becomes necessary to grow them somewhere else to satisfy local, regional, and/or international requirements. However, if that production is done in tropical and subtropical zones, it must be done incorporating strategies to prevent mycotoxin contamination, which has negative health, social, and economic impacts. Otherwise, increased production of susceptible crops in mycotoxin-prone areas may augment the already occurring negative impacts, which are severe in the global south

Contributions of integrated aflatoxin management strategies to achieve the sustainable development goals in various African countries

Open Access Article; Published online: 08 Jul 2021In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to achieve peace and prosperity for all people in the planet. Meeting that ambitious agenda depends on fulfilling all objectives of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Multiple approaches by diverse actors, many of them interconnected, will allow achieving each SDG. However, with compromised food security and food safety, many SDGs will not be realized. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), maize and groundnut are two staple crops frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, which threaten food security and food safety. Aflatoxins are extremely dangerous compounds produced primarily by the fungus Aspergillus flavus. Even at minute concentrations, aflatoxins negatively influence health, income, and trade sectors. Farmers, traders, industries, and consumers become affected. However, practical solutions exist. Non-aflatoxin producing isolates (referred to as atoxigenic) of A. flavus can decrease crop aflatoxin content when used in biocontrol formulations to competitively displace aflatoxin producers during crop development. Typically, treated crops contain 80%–100% less aflatoxin than non-treated crops. The technology was developed by USDA-ARS for use in the US and has been adapted and improved for use in SSA where several products under the tradename Aflasafe are available. There are biocontrol products registered for use in 10 SSA countries and more are being developed. On the other hand, although highly effective, biocontrol is not a panacea. Less aflatoxin occurs across value chains when biocontrol is combined with other practices. In this review, we discuss how i) aflatoxin biocontrol products are developed, manufactured, licensed, and commercialized, ii) aflatoxin management strategies are designed, and iii) integrated aflatoxin management is or will soon be contributing to achieve, in several countries, many targets of most SDGs. We present integrated aflatoxin management as a model intervention contributing to tackle several challenges impeding prosperity and peace in SSA

Founder events influence structures of Aspergillus flavus populations

Open Access Article; Published online: 09 June 2020In warm regions, agricultural fields are occupied by complex Aspergillus flavus communities composed of isolates in many vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) with varying abilities to produce highly toxic, carcinogenic aflatoxins. Aflatoxin contamination is reduced with biocontrol products that enable atoxigenic isolates from atoxigenic VCGs to dominate the population. Shifts in VCG frequencies similar to those caused by the introduction of biocontrol isolates were detected in Sonora, Mexico, where biocontrol is not currently practiced. The shifts were attributed to founder events. Although VCGs reproduce clonally, significant diversity exists within VCGs. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) fingerprinting revealed that increased frequencies of VCG YV150 involved a single haplotype. This is consistent with a founder event. Additionally, great diversity was detected among 82 YV150 isolates collected over 20 years across Mexico and the United States. Thirty‐six YV150 haplotypes were separated into two populations by Structure and SplitsTree analyses. Sixty‐five percent of isolates had MAT1‐1 and belonged to one population. The remaining had MAT1‐2 and belonged to the second population. SSR alleles varied within populations, but recombination between populations was not detected despite co‐occurrence at some locations. Results suggest that YV150 isolates with opposite mating‐type have either strongly restrained or lost sexual reproduction among themselves

Biological control of aflatoxins in maize and groundnut through use of aflasafe products developed for Ghana

United States Agency for International Developmen