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Submitted to: Mycological Society of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2004 Publication Date: 6/15/2004 Citation: Horn, B.W. 2004. Infection of wounded peanut seeds by soil fungi: selectivity for species from aspergillus section flavi. Mycological Society of America, Asheville, NC. Program and Abstracts, p. 59. Interpretive Summary: Not required . Technical Abstract: Soil is a source of primary inoculum for Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, fungi that produce highly carcinogenic aflatoxins in peanuts. Aflatoxigenic fungi commonly invade peanut seeds during maturation and the highest concentrations of aflatoxins are found in damaged seeds. A laboratory procedure was developed in which viable peanut seeds were wounded and inoculated with field soil containing natural populations of fungi, then incubated under different conditions of seed water activity and temperature. Aspergillus species from section Flavi present in soil included A. flavus L and S strains, A. parasiticus, A. caelatus, A. tamarii and A. alliaceus. Wounding was required for high incidences of fungal colonization; viability of wounded seeds had little effect on colonization by Aspergillus species. Despite the low soil densities of section Flavi relative to the total numbers of filamentous fungi (< 1%), wounded peanut seeds were preferentially colonized by section Flavi species as well as A. niger over broad ranges of water activity (0.82-0.98) and temperature (15-37 C). The highest incidences of seed colonization occurred at water activities of 0.92-0.96 at 30-37 C. A. parasiticus colonized peanut seeds at lower temperatures than A. flavus, and cool soil temperatures relative to temperatures of aerial crop fruits may explain why A. parasiticus is found mostly in peanuts. Other fungi, dominated by the genera Penicillium, Fusarium and Gliocladium, colonized seeds primarily at water activities and temperatures suboptimal for section Flavi species and A. niger. Eupenicillium ochrosalmoneum frequently sporulated on the conidial heads of section Flavi species and showed strong specificity for these fungi. The inoculation of wounded viable peanut seeds with soil containing natural populations of fungi provides a model system for studying the infection process, the interactions between fungi, and those factors important in aflatoxin formation. |
