Abstract
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are usually infected by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus during pre and post-harvest periods subsequently resulting in aflatoxin contamination. Thirteen peanut varieties were evaluated for kernel and pod colonization and infection by A. flavus in this study. The pods and kernels were examined under a microscope for A. flavus infection levels. Differences in mean ratings of infected peanut kernels and pods were observed after 10 days of artificial inoculation and incubation. More differences were observed among the mean ratings of peanut kernels and pods with invisible mycelial surface coverage. However, these mean differences were not statistically significant P ≥ 5. Peanut varieties with the biggest mean ratings of kernels and pods with invisible mycelia or no visible sign of infection and smallest mean ratings of infected pods and kernels could be considered tolerant to A. flavus colonization and infection in this study. Therefore, there is a need to promote the cultivation of these varieties by farmers as they have low levels of infection and subsequently low level of aflatoxin contamination. The peanut varieties with the lowest mean ratings of kernels and pods with invisible mycelia which are considered to have good attributes warrant improvement through selection and breeding. This is because most farmers in Uganda store their peanuts in pod form which offers some protection against infection. In addition, peanut varieties with biggest mean ratings of kernels with invisible mycelia need to be promoted among traders since they are considered to have lower levels of A. flavus infection.
Highlights
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are usually infected by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus during pre and post-harvest periods subsequently resulting in aflatoxin contamination
The results of pods and kernels revealed that none of the kernels and pods from all the 13 peanut varieties was immune to A. flavus infection
LaPrade et al [25] and Liang et al [26] reported that peanut resistance to A. flavus and subsequent aflatoxin contamination could have been attributed to seed coat thickness, permeability and seed testa constituents
Summary
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are usually infected by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus during pre and post-harvest periods subsequently resulting in aflatoxin contamination. The peanut varieties with the lowest mean ratings of kernels and pods with invisible mycelia which are considered to have good attributes warrant improvement through selection and breeding This is because most farmers in Uganda store their peanuts in pod form which offers some protection against infection. Peanut varieties with biggest mean ratings of kernels with invisible mycelia need to be promoted among traders since they are considered to have lower levels of A. flavus infection. The need for empirical evaluation of the different peanut varieties to A. flavus infection tolerance levels and lack of known varieties resistant to aflatoxin contamination, justified this study recommended agronomical practices, postharvest storage strategies and good processing practices need to be promoted among farmers, traders, processors and other stakeholders in order to reduce the level of aflatoxin contamination. Other research findings by Kushalappa et al [17] show that pod resistance to A. flavus invasion was associated with undamaged peanut shells in addition to the presence of antagonistic fungal and bacterial microflora
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
