Comparison of Aflatoxin Production in Field Corn Treated with Two Different Strains of Aspergillus Flavus versus Natural Infestation.

Hruska, Z., Yao, H., Kincaid, R., Brown, R. L., & Cleveland, T. E. (2009). Comparison of Aflatoxin Production in Field Corn Treated with Two Different Strains of Aspergillus Flavus versus Natural Infestation. 2009 ASABE Annual International Meeting. Reno, NV.

Abstract

Aflatoxin contamination is a major concern for corn designated for the bio-fuels market. Guidelines for ethanol production, for example, require acceptable limits for aflatoxin to be below 7 ppb in the US. In an attempt to develop accurate rapid and non-invasive detection techniques for aflatoxin in corn, among other parameters, it is important to determine the difference between natural aflatoxin production in a given crop and one that is artificially induced. The current study assesses the extent of aflatoxin production in a cornfield in Louisiana inoculated with spores from two different strains of Aspergillus flavus as well as aflatoxin production in corn from the same field due to natural infestation. A small corn plot in Baton Rouge was used during the 2008-growing season. Two groups of four hundred plants were inoculated with two different inoculi and one group of four hundred plants was designated as controls. Any contamination detected in the controls would be attributed to natural infestation. A subset of each group was chemically analyzed using affinity column fluorometry and HPLC. Group differences were statistically analyzed. Results from this study may be useful in evaluating rapid, non-invasive instrumentation and/or methodology for aflatoxin detection for the bio-fuels industry.