IITA IPM project 11: Aflatoxin risk assessment, biological control options and intervention

Duration: 4 years (2003 – 2006)

Purpose: To generate new knowledge for the development and implementation of biological control and management options to reduce aflatoxin risk.

Background/description: On the basis of previous studies, IITA now proposes a new project to fill the research gaps with the following aspects: 1- the factors that influence Aspergillus flavus strains and toxin expression in different agro-ecozones; 2- the development and testing of atoxigenic A. flavus strains for biological control; 3- the effect of aflatoxin from whole food-baskets and related quality indicators on the well-being and growth of children; 4- the impact of management options (maize/IITA; groundnut/ICRISAT) and nutritional improvement on childrens' growth and health in high-risk zones and 5- the coordination of already existing efforts across the region for information exchange, transfer, and the production of extension material for eventual implementation of tested aflatoxin management strategies by various countries

Agroecozone(s) and location(s): The savannahs of Benin

Expected outputs: a) The factors that influence Aspergillus flavus strains and toxin expression in different agro-ecozones are known; b) Stable preparations of atoxigenic A. flavus strains for biological control specific to agro-ecozones are developed and tested; c) Aflatoxin exposure from whole foo-baskets is quantified and the effects of related nutritional quality indicators on the wellbeing and growth of children are determined; d) Impact of management options and nutritional improvement on children's growth and health in high-risk zones are examined; e) Efforts across the region for information exchange, transfer and the production of extension material for eventual implementation of aflatoxin management strategies are coordinated

Potential impact and beneficiaries: NARS, NGO's, governmental and rural health organizations in the sub-region, who use the extension material; universities and national research organizations, who follow up and adapt the biological control implementation procedures, farmers who adopt new field to store technologies

Partners: a) National Agricultural Research Organization, Benin;

Development investor(s): BEAF; (BMZ); (GTZ).

IITA contact person(s)/principal investigator(s): Kerstin Hell K.Hell@cgiar.org and Ranajit Bandyopadhyay R.Bandyopadhyay@cgiar.org website http://www.iita.org