This document summarizes strategies for pre- and post-harvest management of aflatoxin in food crops. It discusses how aflatoxin contamination occurs before and after crop maturity due to factors like insect damage, drought, and humidity. It then outlines management strategies including host plant resistance, insect control, biocontrol use of Aflasafe, and post-harvest practices like drying, storage, and sorting. Aflasafe application in multiple countries has shown reductions in aflatoxin of over 80% at harvest and in storage. The conclusion emphasizes applying an integrated approach of Aflasafe use along with best agricultural and storage practices.

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Pre and Post – Harvest
Management of Aflatoxin in
Food Crops
Joseph Atehnkeng, IITA
On Behalf of the team

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Occurrence of aflatoxin in crops
Biocontrol technology
Other Management practices.
Conclusion
Outline

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R4D at IITA
On the six mandate
crops: But not
limited to…

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Joseph Atehnkeng, IITA
Research experience continues
Aspergillus in
maize
Healthy maize cobs
Aspergillus in groundnut
Aflatoxin contamination in
grains

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Infested Maize Cobs
Delayed harvesting

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Aflatoxin Contamination Occurs in
Two Phases
Phase I: Before Crop Maturity
 Developing crops become infected.
 Associated with crop damage (insect, bird, stress).
 Favored by high temperature (night) and dry conditions.
Phase II: After Crop Maturity
 Aflatoxin increases in mature crop.
 Seed is vulnerable until consumed.
 Rain on the mature crop increases contamination.
 Associated with high humidity in the field & store, insect
damage, and improper crop storage or transportation.

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History of Acute Aflatoxicoses Outbreaks
Taiwan
1967
Uganda
1970
Western India
1974
Kenya
1982
2002
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Malaysia
1988
35°N
35°S
5 billion people
exposed --CDC
Aflatoxin Contamination: A Perennial Concern in
Warm Climates
Contamination is worse during dry
periods.
During droughts the zone containing
contaminated crops enlarges.

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Chronic exposure
Liver cancer
Immunosupression
Underweight
Stunting
Infants & young children
most affected
Acute exposure
Death (eg. Kenya in 2004)
Unreported cases,
UNKNOWN
Farm animals
Reduced feed consumption
Reduced reproductivity
Immune suppression
Decreased milk and egg
production
Retarded growth and
development
CONSEQUENCE?
Reduction in farmers’ incomes
Effects on human & animal health and Trade
Trade losses (US$ 450
million/annum) in Africa
due to aflatoxin contamination

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Management Strategies
Pre harvest
• Awareness
• Host plant resistance
• Insect control
• Irrigation
• Biological control
Post harvest
• Time of harvest
• Sorting and processing
• Grain drying method
• Storage structure
• Insect control
• Hygiene and sanitation

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Integrated approach to manage aflatoxins in
crops

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AF36
Aflaguard
Biocontrol
WORKS
In 100’S of
thousands
of acres in
the US!
IT WORKS
In Africa
TOO!
Aflasafe

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Product: Aflasafe
Mixture of 4 native atoxigenic strains
Nigeria

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Time of aflasafe application

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Farmers treating maize and groundnut fields with Aflasafe in Nigeria
MAIZE: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011 2012
Harvest 82 94 83 93
Storage 92 93 x x
PEANUT: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011
Harvest - 95 82
Storage 100 80 x
Results from 482
on-farm trials
71% and 52% carry-over of
inoculum 1 & 2 years after
application

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Senegal
Kenya
Burkina Faso
Aflasafe Registration

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Aflasafe
Manufacture

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14
14 tons inoculum produced in 2011 for deployment

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Aflasafe Plan & Plant
Capacity: 5
tons/hour

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Explaining aflatoxin to farmers

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Lodging

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AVOID LODGED PLANTS
Source: Jain, 2009. Workshop in IITA

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Control Stem Borer

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Consult Your Extension Agent

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Damage by Birds and Rodents

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Delayed harvesting

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Proper and improper heaping

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Drying Methods and losses

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Drying of Maize

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Drying Maize

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Threshing

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Kernel Intergrity

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Safe Moisture Content

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Sanitation

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Sanitation

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USE ONLY WELL-PROTECTED TRUCKS TO TRANSPORT MAIZE
TRUCKS MUST USE CLEAN PALLETS
Source: Jain, 2009. Workshop in IITA

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Storage structures

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Sorting to reduce Post harvest losses
Poorly filled pods have high moisture content

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Sorting

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Sensitization

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•Target Group
• Farmers
• Extension agents
• Media houses
• National bodies eg NAERLS, ADP,
NAFDAC
• Community leaders
•National policy /decision makers
•Agriculture
•Trade
•Health

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Aflatoxin awareness
•Trained close to 1000 extension
Agents
• Close to 40000 farmers
• Training in collaboration with NAERLS,
ADP, CADP

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Training materials
Aflatoxin
management
Video

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Cleaning and Branding

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Conclusion
• Apply AflasafeTM
• Aflasafe grains improves the health and income of
families that grow and eat aflasafe treated maize or
groundnut Plant and harvest on time
• Drying to save moisture content is crucial
• Control insect in the field and in stores
• Sort grain before drying
• Clean and repair the stores
• Result of the change: improved quality contamination
in grain

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Ibadan
IITA
Tucson
USDA/ARS
IITA, USDA & Doreo have Teamed up to Bring
Aflatoxin Prevention to Africa
Made Possible by Many National Partners in Ministries, Industry, and on the Farm
Nigeria
For more information about aflatoxin biocontrol for Africa, check out: www.aflasafe.com

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0
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<4 <10 <20 >20
Nestlé/EU WFP/Nigeria US Unsafe
Maximum allowable aflatoxin level (ng g-1)
Farmers'fields(%)
Treated
Control
Different Levels of aflatoxin
in AflaSafe™ treated and
untreated fields at harvest