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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408142
Research Project: Bioherbicidal Control of Invasive Weeds with Indigenous Plant Pathogens

Location: Biological Control of Pests Research

Title: Genetic Diversity of Aspergillus flavus on Maize in Guatemala

Author
item Weaver, Mark
item BOWEN, CURT - Semilla Nueva (ASOCIACION SEMILLANUEVA)
item BASTIDAS, ANGELA - Semilla Nueva (ASOCIACION SEMILLANUEVA)
item Park, Lilly
item DREWRY, SAMANTHA - University Of Memphis
item MANDEL, JENNIFER - University Of Memphis

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/16/2023
Publication Date: 10/21/2023
Citation: Weaver, M.A., Bowen, C., Bastidas, A., Park, L.C., Drewry, S.G., Mandel, J.R. 2023. Genetic Diversity of Aspergillus flavus on Maize in Guatemala. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12203864.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12203864

Interpretive Summary: Aflatoxin contamination of maize is a leading threat to health in Guatemala.  This contamination is the result of infection from Aspergillus flavus and has been effectively reduced in other countries through application of nonaflatoxigenic, indigenous strains of A. flavus.  We collected maize samples from throughout Guatemala in two years and isolated A. flavus from these samples.  We provide here a description of these isolates as well as an analysis of the diversity of this population. High levels of genetic diversity were observed with the nonaflatoxigenic isolates in this study, but this information contributes towards the development of indigenous aflatoxin biocontrol products. 

Technical Abstract: Aflatoxin contamination of maize is a leading threat to health in Guatemala. This contamination is the result of infection from Aspergillus flavus and has been effectively reduced in other countries through application of nonaflatoxigenic, indigenous strains of A. flavus. We collected 82 maize samples from throughout Guatemala in two years and isolated 272 A. flavus from these samples, including 126 unique genotypes. We provide here a phenotypic and simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based genotypic description of these isolates, as well as an analysis of the diversity of this population. High levels of genetic diversity were observed with the nonaflatoxigenic isolates in this study, but this information contributes to the development of indigenous aflatoxin biocontrol products.