Submitter: (ICRISAT)
Aflatoxins are natural toxic substances produced by the Aspergillus flavus group fungi, i.e., A. flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins contaminate a wide range of crops, including maize, groundnuts, sorghum, pearl millet, chili, peppers, cassava, as well as milk from animals fed contaminated feed in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. ICRISAT has achieved success in developing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for mitigating aflatoxin during both pre- and post-harvest stages. We have successfully demonstrated the efficacy of interventions aimed at reducing plant stress, resulting in a significant reduction in contamination.
Aflatoxin contamination is a complex problem, and no single solution can effectively eliminate the issue during pre- and post-harvest stages. Hence, ICRISAT has developed a package of science-backed solutions that can be scaled up.
All groundnut-growing areas in Asia (India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, etc.) and sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Senegal, Sudan, etc.)
ICRISAT has successfully demonstrated in farmers' fields that a set of good agricultural practices (GAPs) effectively reduced pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination. Kernel infections and aflatoxins were significantly lower, with reductions of 13–58% and 62–94%, respectively, in GAPs plots compared to farmer practices (FP). An average US$58 per ha net gain was realized through the adoption of GAPs by farmers, besides quality improvement of groundnuts.
The good agricultural practices that we tested and promoted are cost-effective and easily adoptable by small and marginal farmers. Sensitizing the farmers and linking them to markets after producing quality groundnuts is key.
