“…The maize borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, the maize earworm, Heliothis zea, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, have been identified as the major insects implicated in A. flavus infection and subsequent aflatoxin contamination of preharvest maize (Widstrom, 1979;Windham et al, 1999). When insect damage occurred simultaneously with favourable climatic conditions, such as drought stress and high temperature, high aflatoxin concentrations were usually found in maize grains (Magagnoli et al, 2021) techniques will reduce formation of holes and damage to the cobs which, in turn, will reduce the entry points for the fungus Sétamou et al, 1998). Thus, the application of registered insecticides especially when drought and heat stress frequently occur during the reproductive stages of the plants, can mitigate the risk of fungal growth.…”