Biocontrol reducing mycotoxins in cropping systems (WP2)

by Jurgen Khol
Biological control makes use of the natural phenomenon of microbial antagonism. In MycoRed, existing microbial candidates which have already shown significant promise in national research programmes are tested under field conditions in different beneficiary countries in key food chains such as maize, wheat, peanuts and grapevine.

• Field experiments with maize stubble started in autumn 2009 in The Netherlands and Italy to study their natural colonization by antagonists. The amounts of different Fusarium species in individual maize stubbles will be quantified and competing primary colonizers will be identified. The experiments will last until spring 2010. 
• Four different antagonists have been applied to maize stubble in field experiments started in autumn 2009 in The Netherlands and Italy. A similar experiment is conducted in Argentina with wheat stubble. The effect of biocontrol treatments on the amounts of different Fusarium species in maize or wheat stubbles will be quantified. The experiments will last until spring 2010.
• Different antagonists have also been applied in field experiments in Argentina in wheat to control toxigenic Fusariums pp. and in peanuts to control toxigenic Aspergillus flavus.

• In Nigeria, farmers are participating in the biocontrol of aflatoxins in maize using Aflasafe™. About 85 hectares of farmlands across Nigeria have been treated. The fungus-based biocontrol product Aflasafe™ is a registered trademark of IITA.
  
  

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• aflasafeflyer.pdf (2 Mb)