New Agriculturist: News brief - Bio-control developed to combat deadly maize contamination

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Bio-control developed to combat deadly maize contamination

Bio-control developed to combat deadly maize contamination

The technology has provided relief to hundreds of maize farmers in northern Nigeria
IITA

A biological control product has been developed to prevent the contamination of maize by aflatoxin - a poison that can cause liver cancer, fatigue, reduced immunity and death. Produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin is reported to have led to the death of 200 people between 2004 and 2006 in Kenya after they consumed contaminated maize.

"A. flavus strains are either toxigenic (produce aflatoxin) or atoxigenic (do not produce aflatoxin)," explains Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, a plant pathologist with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and one of the developers of the bio-control. "Our biological control technology makes use of carefully selected atoxigenic strains, which safely out-compete and virtually eliminate the toxigenic ones, effectively reducing contamination of maize."

Spraying the biocontrol, Aflasafe™, two to three weeks before the flowering stage of maize is sufficient to prevent aflatoxin contamination while the crop remains in the field, and even when the grain is in storage. "So even if the grains are not stored properly, or get wet during or after harvest, the product continues to prevent aflatoxin contamination," says Bandyopadhyay.

"There has been an improvement in grain quality," says Christie Kpatuwak, a maize farmer from Kaduna State, in Nigeria, who participated in the trials in 2009. According to scientists from IITA, participating farmers reduced contamination by 80 per cent.

So far, IITA has obtained provisional registration of Aflasafe™ in Nigeria, but is working with national and international organisations to obtain full registration and to identify an entity that would manufacture, market and distribute Aflasafe™ in the country. Meanwhile, Kenyan scientists want the bio-control to be tested to ascertain its suitability in Kenya before it is introduced to farmers.

Written by Oluyinka Alawode

Date published: June 2010