First International Congress Post-Harvest Loss Prevention Rome, 4-7 October, 2015 Aflatoxin biocontrol: Scaling-up a Preharvest Aflatoxin Management Tool to Reduce Postharvest losses IITA: Bandyopadhyay, Akande, Atehnkeng, Kaptoge, Mutegi USDA-ARS / Univ of Arizona: Cotty DPV, Senegal: Senghor
Aflatoxin Facts Highly toxic metabolite produced by the ubiquitous Aspergillus flavus fungus The fungus resides in soil and crop debris, infects crops and produces the toxin in the field and in stores Fungus carried from field to store Contamination possible without visible signs of the fungus Death, liver cancer, immunesuppression, stunted growth Impacts animal productivity Negatively impacts trade
Samples (%) with Aflatoxin At harvest -- Nigeria Aflatoxin (ppb) Maize (n = 241) Peanut (n = 188) > 4 70 54 > 10 52 41 > 20 24 29 In Farmers Store -- Kenya Pre-Harvest Problem Aflatoxin (ppb) Maize (n = 342) > 20 53 > 100 34 > 1000 7 Kenya data: CDC & Ministry of Health, 2004 Increases after Harvest
Multiple practices to Manage Aflatoxins Planting Harvest Consumption
Biocontrol Works! Hundreds of Thhosands of acres treated annually in the US! It Works in Africa Too EPA approved 2 products AF36 Afla-guard Production Room Atoxigenic Strain Manufacturing Facility Arizona Cotton Research & Protection Council (Funded and Governed by the Farmers of Arizona), Phoenix, Arizona
Biocontrol Principles In nature, some strains produce a lot (toxigenic), and others no aflatoxin (atoxigenic) (Donner, Soil Biol Biochem 2009) Atoxigenic strains are already present on the crop (Atehnkeng et al., IJFM, 2008) Increase the frequency of atoxigenic strains to competitively displace toxigenic strains (Cotty & Bayman, Phytopath 1993) to reduce aflatoxin contamination Atoxigenic strains can be applied without increasing infection and without increasing the overall quantity of A. flavus on the crop or in the environment (Cotty, Phytopath 1994; Atehnkeng et al., Biological Control 2014) Aflatoxin B 1 (ng/g X 10,000) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Isolates (%) in Applied Atoxigenic Strain Strains move from field to stores Multiple year & crop carry-over effect (Jaime & Cotty, Phytopath 2006) We use only native strains
Strain Selection Criteria In the laboratory (~5,000 strains): Does not produce aflatoxin VCG/SSR group with Wide geographic distribution No toxigenic member Defective in >2 aflatoxin & CPA genes Outcompetes toxigenic strains 8-12 native strains selected for field tests After field application: 4 native strains formulated into the final product Superior capacity to colonize, multiply and survive in soil Superior frequency of isolation from grains Superior capacity to reduce aflatoxin
How Does aflasafe Work? Sporulation on moist soil Soil colonization 3-20 days Wind Insects 30-33 grains m -2 Spores Broadcast @ 10 kg/ha 2-3 weeks before flowering Aflasafe in 2.5 & 5 kg bags
Nigeria: Efficacy on Maize Less (%) 120 Aflatoxin (ppb) 100 80 60 40 20 0 Fields (#) 82 94 83 86 82 93 89 90 600 * 372 At Harvest Aflasafe Control 500 400 300 200 100 After Storage 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2009 2010 2011 2012 51 14 199 38 51 14 166 38 *All means of aflasafe and control pairs significantly different; Student s t-test (P<0.05)
Senegal: Efficacy of aflasafe SN01 Area Sample Treatment Diourbel Nioro Harvest Storage Harvest Storage 2010 (n=40) 2011 (n=34) 2012 (n=71) Mean Aflatox (ppb) Reduct. (%) Mean Aflatox (ppb) Reduct. (%) Mean Aflatox (ppb) Treated 1.9 6.6 3.7 93 87 Control 29.7 50.1 20.3 Treated 4.4 2.1 6.9 86 91 Control 31.3 22.1 35.5 Treated 4.4 5.6 5.4 75 76 Control 17.6 23.1 55.7 Treated 3.5 2.8 11.5 95 94 Control 52.1 46.7 72.5 Reduct. (%) *All means of aflasafe treated and control pairs significantly different; Student s t-test (P<0.05) n = number of famers fields 82 81 90 84
Kenya: Efficacy of aflasafe KE01 533 ppb Deadly (3,700 ppb & 2,270 ppb) Aflatoxin (ppb) Area (fields) Control Treated Reduction (%) Hola (n = 20) 885 20 98 Bura (n = 16) 105 7 93 Makueni (n = 15) 85 1 99 Hola Fields (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Fields (%) above 10 ppb in 3 areas 38 88 20 Treated Control 60 0 33 *All means of aflasafe treated and control pairs significantly different; Student s t-test (P<0.05)
Challenges But Aflatoxin is a hidden problem Chemical analysis required Awareness is low Long incubation for expression of liver cancer Regulations either non-existent or poorly enforced Market does not usually discriminate Demonstration of product value Lack of biopesticide manufacturers The value of a technology on the shelf is as much as the cost of the space it occupies on the shelf. Must translate knowledge into usable products and practices to benefit people
This Manufacturing Facility in IITA-Ibadan can supply aflasafe to treat 2 million ha annually Large-scale: capacity 5 tons/hour Product cost: $12 to $18.75/ha
Modular Manufacturing Facility Capacity: 7 tons/day Cost: ~US$300 700K Purpose: Introduction Product cost: 12 15/ha Labour intensive Kenya Senegal
Poultry Feeding Study Aflasafe maize feed Toxic maize feed Agriculture Mycored Europe, for Nutrition 28 May, & 2013 Health $3,200 net profit from 10,000 birds in 8 weeks
Innovation Platform Platform meetings with leadership and members of Poultry Association of Nigeria, feed manufacturers, maize aggregators, aflasafe farmers, vet professionals and regulators Poultry farmers to buy all aflasafe maize at a negotiated premium Agriculture ministry to fund NAFDAC to set up aflatoxin testing facilities in each state
G-20 AgResults Aflasafe Pull mechanism lays foundation to create sustainablity Provides incentives after demonstrating adoption Private sector driven, but focused on smallholder groups Implementers provide credit, inputs and technical services to increase yield Aflasafe purchased at cost to improve quality Maize tested for aflasafe strains; if present in large frequency, the implementers incentivized with $18.75/ton maize Implementers negotiate maize sale at premium Project provides aflatoxin awareness, training of implementers, and identifies potential market linkages Target: 260,000 tons of aflasafe maize annually by year 4
Integrated approach to manage aflatoxins Aggregation Aflasafe Training for pre/postharvest afla management Aflatoxin testing Inputs & training to improve productivity Market linkages Farmer groups/ value chain/finance Policy and advocacy Awareness and sensitizations
AgResults Aflasafe Pilot Average sale price over market rate: 17% Maize retained by farmers for family use: 20.3%
Product Development in Africa Senegal Nigeria The Gambia Rwanda Uganda Current emphasis on regional strains and regional products Burkina Faso Ghana Zambia Kenya Burundi Tanzania Malawi Mozambique Strain development in progress Products under testing in farmers fields Product ready for registration Product registered
Scaling Up & Out Senegal Nigeria: AgResults farmers to produce 260,000 tons of Aflasafe maize; Public-private partnership Senegal: Area-wide treatment in 2013 and 2014 with 16 tons; 20 tons use projected in 2015; private sector led Kenya: Government buy-in; about 230 tons procured; excellent support Critical role of PACA and RECs Kenya
Summary Aflatoxins in food and feed pervasive in Africa Contamination starts in the field Biological control with other practices can dramatically reduce aflatoxin contamination and improve food safety and security Efforts underway to pilot commercialization of aflatoxin biocontrol and develop regional strains The pilots need to be up-scaled and efforts to improve efficacy needs a fillip for wide-spread impact on health and trade in Africa
IITA Nigeria Tucson USDA/ARS IITA, USDA, & Doreo have Teamed up to Bring Aflatoxin Prevention to Africa Made Possible by Many National Partners in Ministries, Industry, and on the Farm For more information about aflatoxin biocontrol for Africa, check out: www.aflasafe.com