Present status and perspective on the future use of aflatoxin biocontrol products

Aflatoxin contamination of important food and feed crops occurs frequently in warm tropical and subtropical regions. The contamination is caused mainly by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxin contamination negatively affects health and trade sectors and causes economic losses to agricultural industries. Many pre- and post-harvest technologies can limit aflatoxin contamination but may not always reduce aflatoxin concentrations below tolerance thresholds. However, the use of atoxigenic (non-toxin producing) isolates of A. flavus to competitively displace aflatoxin producers is a practical strategy that effectively limits aflatoxin contamination in crops from field to plate. Biocontrol products formulated with atoxigenic isolates as active ingredients have been registered for use in the US, several African nations, and one such product is in final stages of registration in Italy. Many other nations are seeking to develop biocontrol products to protect their crops. In this review article we present an overview of the biocontrol technology, explain the basis to select atoxigenic isolates as active ingredients, describe how formulations are developed and tested, and describe how a biocontrol product is used commercially. Future perspectives on formulations of aflatoxin biocontrol products, along with other important topics related to the aflatoxin biocontrol technology are also discussed.Fil: Moral, Juan. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Garcia-Lopez, Maria Teresa. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Camiletti, Boris Xavier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Departamento de Recursos Naturales. Cátedra de Microbiología Agrícola; ArgentinaFil: Jaime, Ramon. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Michailides, Themis J.. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; NigeriaFil: Ortega-Beltran, Alejandro. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; Nigeri

Characterisation of youth entrepreneurship in Medellín-Colombia using machine learning

The aim of this paper is to identify profiles of young Colombian entrepreneurs based on data from the “Youth Entrepreneurship” survey developed by the Colombian Youth Secretariat. Our research results show five profiles of entrepreneurs, mainly differentiated by age and entrepreneurial motives, as well as the identification of relevant skills, capacities, and capabilities for entrepreneurship, such as creativity, learning, and leadership. The sample consists of 633 young people aged between 14 and 28 years in Medellín. The data treatment was approached through cluster analysis using the K-means algorithm to obtain information about the underlying nature and structure of the data. These data analysis techniques provide valuable information that can help to better understand the behaviour of Colombian entrepreneurs. They also reveal hidden information in the data. Therefore, one of the advantages of using statistical and artificial intelligence techniques in this type of study is to extract valuable information that might otherwise go unnoticed. The clusters generated show correlations with profiles that can support the design of policies in Colombia to promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the creation and development of new businesses through business regulation

Prevalence of severe/morbid obesity and other weight status and anthropometric reference standards in Spanish preschool children: The PREFIT project

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has become a major health problem in children under the age of 5 years. Providing reference standards would help paediatricians to detect and/or prevent health problems related to both low and high levels of body mass and to central adiposity later in life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of different weight status categories and to provide sex- and age-specific anthropometry reference standards for Spanish preschool children. METHODS: A total of 3178 preschool children (4.59±0.87 years old) participated in this study. Prevalence of different degrees of obesity (mild, severe, and morbid) and other weight status categories were determined. RESULTS: Reference standards were obtained. Prevalence of overweight and obese preschool children in the Spanish population ranged from 21.4 to 34.8%. Specifically, the obesity prevalence was 3.5, 1.2, and 1.3% of these subjects were categorized as mild, severe, and morbid obese. Sex- and age-specific reference standards for anthropometric parameters are provided for every 0.25 years (i.e. every trimester of life). CONCLUSION: Our results show a high prevalence of overweight/obese preschoolers. The provided sex- and age-specific anthropometric reference standards could help paediatricians to track and monitor anthropometric changes at this early stage in order to prevent overweight/obesity.We thank the participation of the preschoolers, parents, and teachers in this study. We are grateful to Ms. Carmen Sainz-Quinn for assistance with the English language. This work is part of a Ph.D. Thesis conducted in the Biomedicine Doctoral Studies of the University of Granada, Spain. The PREFIT project takes place owing to the funding of the Ramón y Cajal grant held by FBO (RYC-2011-09011). C.C.-S. is supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-068829). E.G.A. and F.B.O. are supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC-2014-16390 and RYC-2011-09011, respectively). C.A.-B., A.P.-B., and G.S.-D. are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU13/03137, FPU15/ 05337, and FPU13/04365, respectively). Additional funding was obtained from the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES) and by the Junta de Andalucia, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades. In addition, funding was provided by the SAMID III network, RETICS, the PN I+D+I 2017-2021 (Spain), ISCIII-Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (RD16/0022, SOMM17/6107/UGR), the EXERNET Research Network on Exercise and Health in Special Populations (DEP2005- 00046/ACTI), the University of the Basque Country (GIU14/21), and the University of Zaragoza (JIUZ-2014-BIO-08)

Harnessing nature-based solutions for smallholder plant health in a changing climate

The impacts of climate change on resource-poor farmers are especially severe and include increased challenges with food security and food safety. This report explores how linking the frameworks of nature-based solutions, integrated pest management (IPM), and One Health can facilitate the design of climate-resilient plant health systems, with particular benefits for reduced pesticide use and exposure. Climate-smart approaches to IPM are proposed as a means to reduce emerging risks from pest insects, nematodes, weeds, and diseases under climate change. We elaborate the main climate change threats – and adaptation options – for five key nature-based solutions central to IPM: host plant resistance and tolerance, habitat manipulation, biological control, semiochemical control, and the use of biopesticides. We conclude by laying out a road map for ‘climate-smart IPM’, which outlines the types of support required for practical implementation, such as climate-informed advisory services, information and communication technology, and policy. While emphasis throughout is placed on smallholder production systems – particularly for sub-Saharan Africa – the principles of climate-smart IPM can be considered relevant to crop production generally

XVI International Congress of Control Electronics and Telecommunications: "Techno-scientific considerations for a post-pandemic world intensive in knowledge, innovation and sustainable local development"

Este título, sugestivo por los impactos durante la situación de la Covid 19 en el mundo, y que en Colombia lastimosamente han sido muy críticos, permiten asumir la obligada superación de tensiones sociales, políticas, y económicas; pero sobre todo científicas y tecnológicas. Inicialmente, esto supone la existencia de una capacidad de la sociedad colombiana por recuperar su estado inicial después de que haya cesado la perturbación a la que fue sometida por la catastrófica pandemia, y superar ese anterior estado de cosas ya que se encontraban -y aún se encuentran- muchos problemas locales mal resueltos, medianamente resueltos, y muchos sin resolver: es decir, habrá que rediseñar y fortalecer una probada resiliencia social existente - producto del prolongado conflicto social colombiano superado parcialmente por un proceso de paz exitoso - desde la tecnociencia local; como lo indicaba Markus Brunnermeier - economista alemán y catedrático de economía de la Universidad de Princeton- en su libro The Resilient Society…La cuestión no es preveerlo todo sino poder reaccionar…aprender a recuperarse rápido.This title, suggestive of the impacts during the Covid 19 situation in the world, and which have unfortunately been very critical in Colombia, allows us to assume the obligatory overcoming of social, political, and economic tensions; but above all scientific and technological. Initially, this supposes the existence of a capacity of Colombian society to recover its initial state after the disturbance to which it was subjected by the catastrophic pandemic has ceased, and to overcome that previous state of affairs since it was found -and still is find - many local problems poorly resolved, moderately resolved, and many unresolved: that is, an existing social resilience test will have to be redesigned and strengthened - product of the prolonged Colombian social conflict partially overcome by a successful peace process - from local technoscience; As Markus Brunnermeier - German economist and professor of economics at Princeton University - indicates in his book The Resilient Society...The question is not to foresee everything but to be able to react...learn to recover quickly.Bogot

Ecology, Distribution, Toxigenicity and Diversity of Aflatoxin-Producing Fungal Communities in Maize Fields of Mexico and Interactions of these Fungi with Native Maize Landraces

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic mycotoxins most frequently associated with the filamentous fungus, Aspergillus flavus. These potent toxins pose serious health threats and their concentrations in foods are widely regulated. Maize, a critical staple of billions, is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins. Development of commercial maize hybrids with superior resistance to aflatoxin contamination has been sought for over 30 years without success. Analyses of native maize land races (MLRs) from Mexico revealed several accessions with significant resistance to both aflatoxin contamination and fungal reproduction. Physical barriers are important components of MLRs resistance. Traditional use of MLRs may reduce human exposure to aflatoxins. MLRs may contribute resistant genes of significant value in breeding for aflatoxin resistance. In Mexico, maize is produced from<10 to over 2,000 masl. Elevation had only minor influence on community compositions of aflatoxin-producing fungi associated with maize over three years in Sonora, Mexico. Most variation in community structure occurred between years. Dominant vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) differed among years but were detected in similar frequencies across four agroecological zones. Multiple locations and multiple years must be sampled to obtain realistic assessments of the most successful VCGs. Elevated frequencies of VCG YV150 throughout Sonora during 2006 led to investigate genetic diversity within this VCG using microsatellite loci. The 2006 increases were attributed to rapid increase of a single clone. Examination of YV150 isolates collected over 20 years in the US and Mexico revealed several haplotypes and two genetically distinct populations, which were composed of isolates containing only a population specific mating-type idiomorph. Microsatellite loci in each population were in gametic equilibrium. Gene flow between isolates with different idiomorphs was not detected. VCG YV36, to which the biocontrol agent AF36 belongs, was found to be endemic to Mexico. Microsatellite loci revealed diversity within YV36 from Mexico, but all isolates harbored the single nucleotide polymorphism in the aflatoxin polyketide synthase gene, pksA, that confers atoxigenicity to AF36. Three YV36 isolates also had deletions in pksA suggesting continued degradation. Presence of endemic YV36 isolates in Mexico may facilitate rapid regulatory approval of AF36 for use in prevention of aflatoxin contamination of maize in Mexico.Release after 03-Dec-201

MARS/NDRI/KSU Communications Workshop: Part 7D. Communication Strategy, Tools, and Lessons from the Aflasafe Initiative

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a non‐profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub‐Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity

Influence of Wounding and Temperature on Resistance of Maize Landraces From Mexico to Aflatoxin Contamination

Maize 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.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Period of susceptibility of almonds to aflatoxin contamination during development in the orchard

International audienc