Translational Genomics to Reduce Pre‐harvest Aflatoxin Contamination of Peanut

Ozias-Akins, P., Jackson, S.A., Bertioli, D., Holbrook, C., Varshney, R.K.ORCID: 0000-0002-4562-9131, Waliyar, F., Faye, I., Fonceka, D., Upadhyaya, H., Janila, P. and Khera, P. (2013) Translational Genomics to Reduce Pre‐harvest Aflatoxin Contamination of Peanut. University of Georgia

Abstract

Peanut/groundnut is a protein‐ and calorie‐rich subsistence and cash crop in Africa serving as an excellent source of human nutrition as well as for soil enrichment due to its symbiotic nitrogen fixing capacity. Much of the crop is grown by small‐holder farmers, frequently women. In the absence of severe disease pressure, haulms serve as livestock feed, thereby increasing the utility of the crop. Peanut yields are lower in Africa than in any other region of the world, and pod production is negatively impacted by many pests and diseases for which chemical control is not readily available. Apart from low yields, seed quality often declines under water deficit during maturation in part due to the incidence of aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxin contamination of peanut is a global threat to human health that is largely controlled in developed countries by irrigation and post‐harvest sorting. Small‐holder farmers in developing and feed‐the‐future (FTF) countries lack water resources to reduce pre‐harvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC) through irrigation and encounter significant crop loss with post‐harvest sorting. Pre‐harvest aflatoxin contamination contributes to the potential for contamination to proliferate during post‐harvest storage under suboptimal conditions. While peanut is a highly nutritious addition to the diet, high levels of carcinogenic aflatoxin can have serious health consequences.

Item Type:	Report
Series Name:	Research Proposal. Peanut Genomics
Publisher:	University of Georgia
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/65198

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