Biological control of aflatoxins in Africa: current status and potential challenges in the face of climate change
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Author
Bandyopadhyay, R.Ortega-Beltran, A.
Akande, A.
Mutegi, C.
Atehnkeng, J.
Kaptoge, L.
Senghor, A.L.
Adhikari, B.N.
Cotty, P.J.
Affiliation
USDA-ARS, School of Plant Sciences, University of ArizonaIssue Date
2016-11-02
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WAGENINGEN ACADEMIC PUBLISHERSCitation
Biological control of aflatoxins in Africa: current status and potential challenges in the face of climate change 2016, 9 (5):771 World Mycotoxin JournalJournal
World Mycotoxin JournalRights
© 2016 Wageningen Academic Publishers.Collection Information
This 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 repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination of crops is frequent in warm regions across the globe, including large areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Crop contamination with these dangerous toxins transcends health, food security, and trade sectors. It cuts across the value chain, affecting farmers, traders, markets, and finally consumers. Diverse fungi within Aspergillus section Flavi contaminate crops with aflatoxins. Within these Aspergillus communities, several genotypes are not capable of producing aflatoxins (atoxigenic). Carefully selected atoxigenic genotypes in biological control (biocontrol) formulations efficiently reduce aflatoxin contamination of crops when applied prior to flowering in the field. This safe and environmentally friendly, effective technology was pioneered in the US, where well over a million acres of susceptible crops are treated annually. The technology has been improved for use in sub-Saharan Africa, where efforts are under way to develop biocontrol products, under the trade name Aflasafe, for 11 African nations. The number of participating nations is expected to increase. In parallel, state of the art technology has been developed for large-scale inexpensive manufacture of Aflasafe products under the conditions present in many African nations. Results to date indicate that all Aflasafe products, registered and under experimental use, reduce aflatoxin concentrations in treated crops by > 80% in comparison to untreated crops in both field and storage conditions. Benefits of aflatoxin biocontrol technologies are discussed along with potential challenges, including climate change, likely to be faced during the scaling-up of Aflasafe products. Lastly, we respond to several apprehensions expressed in the literature about the use of atoxigenic genotypes in biocontrol formulations. These responses relate to the following apprehensions: sorghum as carrier, distribution costs, aflatoxin-conscious markets, efficacy during drought, post-harvest benefits, risk of allergies and/or aspergillosis, influence of Aflasafe on other mycotoxins and on soil microenvironment, dynamics of Aspergillus genotypes, and recombination between atoxigenic and toxigenic genotypes in natural conditions.Note
Published Open Access.ISSN
1875-07101875-0796
Version
Final published versionSponsors
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF); United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Bundesministerium fur wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development); AgResults; MycoRed; CGIAR A4NH Research Program; CGIAR MAIZE Research Program; Meridian Institute on behalf of the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA); United States Department of Agriculture - Foreign Agricultural Service; Austrian Development Cooperation; Commercial Agriculture Development Program of the Government of NigeriaAdditional Links
http://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/10.3920/WMJ2016.2130ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3920/WMJ2016.2130