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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342673
Research Project: Improved Environmental and Crop Safety by Modification of the Aspergillus flavus Population Structure

Location: Pest Management and Biocontrol Research

Title: Area-wide programs for aflatoxin mitigation: treatment to cotton can be cost effective

Author
item JAMIE, R - University Of Arizona
item LIESNER, L - Arizona Cotton Research And Protection Council
item ANTILLA, L - Arizona Cotton Research And Protection Council
item MEHL, H - Virginia Tech
item Cotty, Peter

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/29/2016
Publication Date: 1/4/2017
Citation: Jamie, R., Liesner, L., Antilla, L., Mehl, H.L., Cotty, P.J. 2017. Area-wide programs for aflatoxin mitigation: treatment to cotton can be cost effective. In: Proceedings of National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 4-6, 2017, Dallas, TX. p. 243-247.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biological control of aflatoxin contamination with atoxigenic genotypes of Aspergillus flavus is currently used commercially on several crops including corn, peanut, and pistachio. However, biopesticides utilizing this technology were first developed and registered for use in preventing aflatoxin contamination of cottonseed. Applications of atoxigenic A. flavus have influences beyond treated fields and across multiple years resulting in benefits even to crops in untreated fields. These benefits were quantified in north central Texas where the A. flavus population associated with an untreated crop had frequencies of two atoxigenic genotypes exceeding a combined 90 percent. Movement of A. flavus propagules between fields can be positive (i.e. atoxigenic genotypes moving from treated areas) or negative (i.e. aflatoxin producers moving from untreated susceptible crops). In field trials in Arizona, application of the biocontrol product Aspergillus flavus AF36 Prevail to a single edge of commercial cotton fields resulted in significant displacement of aflatoxin producing fungi and lower aflatoxin levels compared to the crops produced in untreated opposite boarders. However, in areas where risk of aflatoxin contamination of cottonseed is high, whole field treatments are recommended. In areas where applications are made primarily for preventing contamination of maize grain or silage, inexpensive border applications to neighboring or nearby cotton may result in better area-wide and long-term reductions in the aflatoxin-producing potential of fungal communities associated with all crops and improved reductions in incidences of contamination of both cottonseed and other susceptible crops such as maize, pistachio, and peanuts.