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Utilize the high endemic aflatoxin contamination of maize in West Africa to develop technologies for utilizing atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus to prevent aflatoxin contamination of maize.
Atoxigenic strains of Aspergilus flavus will be developed as biological control agents for the prevention of aflatoxin contamination of corn. Aspects of field selection and development of specific strains and formulations will be addressed, and the importance of crop specific associations and strain relationships to insects will be documented. Techniques for differentiating among atoxigenic strains in competitive ability in the crop environment will be developed. Procedures for selecting atoxigenic strains of optimal value will be created. Methods to apply atoxigenic strains will be developed to optimize occupancy of corn associated with niches with the ultimate goal of displacing aflatoxin producing fungi from soils, crops, and stored product. Work will be performed in West Africa.