Combating aflatoxin contamination by combining biocontrol application and adapted maize germplasm in northeastern and southeastern Mexico

cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
cg.contributor.donorCGIAR Trust Fund
cg.contributor.donorGrupo Maseca (GRUMA)
cg.contributor.initiativePlant Health
cg.coverage.countryMexico
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2MX
cg.coverage.regionLatin America
cg.creator.identifierAide Liliana Molina Macedo: 0000-0002-8382-6814
cg.creator.identifierFernando Henrique Toledo: 0000-0003-0158-643X
cg.creator.identifiernatalia palacios rojas: 0000-0002-3072-4611
cg.howPublishedFormally Published
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105727
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.issn1049-9644
cg.issn1090-2112
cg.journalBiological Control
cg.number105727
cg.reviewStatusPeer Review
cg.volume204
dc.contributor.authorMuñoz-Zavala, Carlos
dc.contributor.authorMolina Macedo, Aide
dc.contributor.authorToledo, Fernando H.
dc.contributor.authorTelles Mejía, Eugenio
dc.contributor.authorCabrera-Soto, Luisa
dc.contributor.authorPalacios-Rojas, Natalia
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-29T15:15:14Zen
dc.date.available2025-04-29T15:15:14Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/174381
dc.titleCombating aflatoxin contamination by combining biocontrol application and adapted maize germplasm in northeastern and southeastern Mexicoen
dcterms.abstractMaize is highly vulnerable to aflatoxin (AF) contamination caused by fungi from the Aspergillus section Flavi, with deficiencies in post-harvest management practices further exacerbating AF levels. Due to their carcinogenic properties, AFs pose significant health risks. Biological control using non-aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolates has been effective for over 25 years in the USA, with two formulations being commercially available. However, no such products have been developed yet for use in Mexico. This study evaluated the effectiveness of AF36-Prevail®, a non-aflatoxigenic strain from Arizona, for reducing aflatoxin contamination in Mexico. Over four years (2019–2022), we assessed its impact alongside regionally adapted maize germplasm in northeastern and southeastern Mexico. We analyzed a total of 1,479 grain samples, with 887 from biocontrol-treated fields, and 592 from untreated fields across 69 sites in Tamaulipas and Campeche. Treated fields showed 59.0 % to 89.9 % reductions in AF content compared to untreated fields, and higher ear rot was observed in untreated fields. Correlation coefficients between ear rot and AF content were r = 0.08 for Campeche and r = 0.36 for Tamaulipas. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.001) were noted between years and hybrids for both yields and AF levels. Three hybrids in Tamaulipas and four in Campeche demonstrated better adaptation, higher yields, and lower AF levels (< 20 ppb). This research underscores the potential for safer maize production in Mexico, particularly when combining biocontrol strain application with adapted germplasm.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.available2025-02-27
dcterms.bibliographicCitationMuñoz-Zavala, C., Molina-Macedo, A., Toledo, F. H., Telles-Mejía, E., Cabrera-Soto, L., & Palacios-Rojas, N. (2025). Combating aflatoxin contamination by combining biocontrol application and adapted maize germplasm in northeastern and southeastern Mexico. Biological Control, 204, 105727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105727en
dcterms.hasVersionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10883/35611
dcterms.issued2025-05
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0
dcterms.publisherElsevier
dcterms.subjectaflatoxin b1en
dcterms.subjectaspergillus flavusen
dcterms.subjectmycotoxinsen
dcterms.subjectzea maysen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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