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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #364911
Research Project: Development of High-Yielding, High-Oleic Peanut Cultivars or Germplasm with Tolerance to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

Location: Crop Genetics and Breeding Research

Title: Association of aflatoxin contamination and root traits of peanut genotypes under terminal drought

Author
item KOOLACHART, R - Khon Kaen University
item JOGLOY, S - Khon Kaen University
item VORASOOT, N - Khon Kaen University
item WONGKAEW, S - Khon Kaen University
item Holbrook, Carl - Corley
item JONGRUNGKLANG, N - Khon Kaen University
item KESMALA, T - Khon Kaen University
item SURIHARN, B - Khon Kaen University

Submitted to: SABRAO J. of Breeding and Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/2019
Publication Date: 7/15/2019
Citation: Koolachart, R., Jogloy, S., Vorasoot, N., Wongkaew, S., Holbrook Jr, C.C., Jongrungklang, N., Kesmala, T., Suriharn, B. 2019. Association of aflatoxin contamination and root traits of peanut genotypes under terminal drought. SABRAO J. of Breeding and Genetics. 51(3):234-251.

Interpretive Summary: Aspergillus fungi can colonize seed of several agricultural crops including peanut, and this can result in the contamination of the edible yield from these crops with the toxic chemical, aflatoxin. Breeding efforts are ongoing to attempt to develop peanut varieties which resist aflatoxin contamination, however, aflatoxin contamination is difficult and expensive to measure. Drought resistance traits are promising as indirect selection tools for improving resistance to preharvest aflatoxin contamination (PAC). The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of terminal drought on PAC and to investigate the associations between surrogate traits for drought tolerance and PAC. Two peanut genotypes were identified that had low aflatoxin contamination, low A. flavus colonization, and high root traits (percent root length density, root surface, root diameter, and root volume). Breeding for drought tolerance using these traits as selection criteria may help to accelerate progress in developing resistance to PAC.

Technical Abstract: Aspergillus flavus colonization and aflatoxin contamination can be a major problem in peanut. Aflatoxin is carcinogenic and harmful to consumers. Drought resistance can be a mechanism to reduce aflatoxin contamination. Information on the association of root parameters and aflatoxin contamination in the end season drought is important for improvement of peanut cultivars for drought prone environments and reduction in pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination. This work aimed to investigate the association of root parameters and aflatoxin contamination of peanut in end of season drought. A split plot design was set up in the field. There were two main plots consisting of two water levels (field capacity (FC) and 1/3 available water (1/3 AW) from the R7 growth stage (R7) through harvest) and five subplots including five peanut genotypes (ICGV 98308, ICGV 98324, ICGV 98348, Tainan 9, and Tifton 8). Data were recorded for Aspergillus flavus colonization, aflatoxin contamination, percent root length density, root surface, root diameter and root volume in the deeper soil layer (30-90 cm) at harvest. ICGV 98348 and ICGV 98324 were the best genotypes for low aflatoxin contamination, low A. flavus colonization, and high root traits (percent root length density, root surface, root diameter and root volume). This study demonstrated that root traits may be important in relation to aflatoxin contamination, and confirmed that colonization is related to aflatoxin contamination. Root traits may be useful as alternative selection criteria for reduced aflatoxin contamination under terminal drought.