Evaluation of atoxigenic isolates of<i>Aspergillus flavus</i>as potential biocontrol agents for aflatoxin in maize

Atehnkeng, Joseph; Ojiambo, P. S.; Ikotun, T.; Sikora, R. A.; Cotty, Peter J.; Bandyopadhyay, Ranajit

doi:10.1080/02652030802112635

Cited by 150 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Initially, more than 4200 Aspergillus strains collected from maize and soil samples in Nigeria were tested and approximately 20 atoxigenic genetic groups were selected (Donner et al 2010). The atoxigenic groups were evaluated for growth rate, sporulation, and competitiveness in vitro and in vivo (Atehnkeng et al 2008b). Information generated from strain characterization work led to the identification of several candidate atoxigenic strains for field evaluation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

International agricultural research to reduce food risks: case studies on aflatoxins

et al. 2015

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Despite massive expansion of human and livestock populations, fuelled by agricultural innovations, nearly one billion people are hungry and 2 billion are sickened each year from the food they eat. Agricultural and food systems are intimately connected to health outcomes, but health policy and programs often stop at the clinic door. A consensus is growing that the disconnection between agriculture, health and nutrition is at least partly responsible for the disease burden associated with food and farming. Mycotoxins produced by fungi are one of the most serious food safety problems affecting staple crops (especially maize and groundnuts).Aflatoxins, the best studied of these mycotoxins, cause around 90,000 cases of liver cancer each year and are strongly associated with stunting and immune suppression in children. Mycotoxins also cause major economic disruptions through their impacts on trade and livestock production. In this paper we use the case of fungal toxins to explore how agricultural research can produce innovations, understand incentives and enable institutions to improve, simultaneously, food safety, food accessibility for poor consumers and access to markets for smallholder farmers, thus making the case for research investors to support research into agricultural approaches for enhancing food safety in value chains. We first discuss the evolution of food safety research within the CGIAR. Then we show how taking an epidemiological and economic perspective on aflatoxin research connects health and nutrition outcomes. Finally, we present three case studies illustrating the traditional strengths of CGIAR research: breeding better varieties and developing new technologies.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

International agricultural research to reduce food risks: case studies on aflatoxins

et al. 2015

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“…Representative isolates of the 20 atoxigenic VCGs were evaluated in laboratory experiments for growth rate, reproduction (sporulation), and ability to reduce aflatoxins when challenged with highly toxigenic isolates (Atehnkeng et al, 2008). Each of the four atoxigenic VCGs that performed superiorly in laboratory conditions was integrated into an experimental biocontrol formulation for field evaluation on maize grown in four agroecological zones in Nigeria during 2007(Atehnkeng et al, 2014, 2016.…”

Section: The First Aflasafe Biopesticidementioning

confidence: 99%

Biological control of aflatoxins in Africa: current status and potential challenges in the face of climate change

Bandyopadhyay

Ortega‐Beltran

Akande

et al. 2016

WMJ

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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.

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“…drought resistance, early mature plant cultivars) in field conditions that are likely to reduce aflatoxin contamination; and (2) applying atoxigenic Aspergillus strains that are out-competing toxigenic Aspergillus strains, which is a novel and proven technology developed in the USA and Africa (Atehnkeng et al, 2008;Bandyopadhyay et al, in press;Brown et al, 1991;Probst et al, 2011), adapted to Europe in collaboration with the international experts from those continents.…”

Section: Pre-harvest Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safe food and feed through an integrated toolbox for mycotoxin management: the MyToolBox approach

Krska

Nijs

McNerney

et al. 2016

WMJ

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There is a pressing need to mobilise the wealth of knowledge from the international mycotoxin research conducted over the past 25-30 years, and to perform cutting-edge research where knowledge gaps still exist. This knowledge needs to be integrated into affordable and practical tools for farmers and food processors along the chain in order to reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination of crops, feed and food. This is the mission of MyToolBox -a four-year project which has received funding from the European Commission. It mobilises a multi-actor partnership (academia, farmers, technology small and medium sized enterprises, food industry and policy stakeholders) to develop novel interventions aimed at achieving a significant reduction in crop losses due to mycotoxin contamination. Besides a field-to-fork approach, MyToolBox also considers safe use options of contaminated batches, such as the efficient production of biofuels. Compared to previous efforts of mycotoxin reduction strategies, the distinguishing feature of MyToolBox is to provide the recommended measures to the end users along the food and feed chain in a web-based MyToolBox platform (e-toolbox). The project focuses on small grain cereals, maize, peanuts and dried figs, applicable to agricultural conditions in the EU and China. Crop losses using existing practices are being compared with crop losses after novel pre-harvest interventions including investigation of genetic resistance to fungal infection, cultural control (e.g. minimum tillage or crop debris treatment), the use of novel biopesticides suitable for organic farming, competitive biocontrol treatment and development of novel modelling approaches to predict mycotoxin contamination. Research into post-harvest measures includes real-time monitoring during storage, innovative sorting of crops using vision-technology, novel milling technology and studying the effects of baking on mycotoxins at an industrial scale.

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Evaluation of atoxigenic isolates ofAspergillus flavusas potential biocontrol agents for aflatoxin in maize

Cited by 150 publications

References 29 publications

International agricultural research to reduce food risks: case studies on aflatoxins

International agricultural research to reduce food risks: case studies on aflatoxins

Biological control of aflatoxins in Africa: current status and potential challenges in the face of climate change

Safe food and feed through an integrated toolbox for mycotoxin management: the MyToolBox approach

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