Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Propagation of mycotoxigenic fungi in maize stores by post-harvest insects

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Maize pests feeding on grains can transmit with their movement fungi harmful to human and animal health. The aim of the present work was to study the immigration and the dynamics of storage pests in traditional African maize granaries and the fungal spectrum associated with these insects. Treatments were (i) maize cobs protected just after pollination with gauze and stored thereafter, and (ii) unprotected maize cobs as controls. Eight different species of insects were identified in stores. No Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) was found in ’protected’ maize during the 6 months of storage, but their mean number reached 239 individuals per kilogram after just 3 months of storage in the ’unprotected’ stores. Similarly, significantly more Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) were recovered from the unprotected than the protected maize treatment. Nine fungal species were found to be associated with the storage insects. On ’non-protected’ cobs the genus Fusarium (36.05%) was the most frequently identified, followed by Penicillium (23.50%), Rhizoctonia (5.65%) and Aspergillus (3.95%). On protected cobs, Rhizoctonia sp. was most frequent (16.76%), followed by Fusarium spp. (16.62%), Penicillium spp. (8.24%) and Aspergillus spp. (2.33%). The toxigenic species encountered were Aspergillus flavus Link, Aspergillus parasiticus Speare and Fusarium verticillioïdes (Sacc). Cathartus quadricollis (Guérin) appeared to carry more fungi towards the store, mainly Penicillium spp. (51.47%), Aspergillus spp. (46.56%) and Fusarium spp. (32.01%). Storage pests, in particular C. quadricollis and S. zeamais, play an important role in the contamination of maize with fungi, especially those that produce toxins.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Ako M., Schulthess F., Gumedzoe M. Y. D. and Cardwell K. F. (2003) The effect of Fusarium verticillioides on oviposition behaviour and bionomics of lepidopteran and coleopteran pests attacking the stem and cobs of maize in West Africa. Entomología Experimentalis et Applicata 106, 201–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beti J. A., Phillips T. W. and Smalley E. B. (1995) Effects of maize weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on pro-duction of aflatoxin B by Aspergillus flavus in stored corn. Journal of Economic Entomology 88, 1517–1838.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biliwa A. and Richter J. (1990) Efficacité d’insecticides binaires en poudre sur du maïs égrené, stocké en sacs, pp. 1577–1585. In Advances in Stored Product Protection: Proceedings of the 5th International Working Conference on Stored-Product Protection (edited by F. Fleurat-Lessard and P. Ducom). 9–14 September 1990, Bordeaux, France. Imprimerie du Médoc, Bordeaux.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgemeister C., Adda C., Djomamou B., Degbey P., Agboka A., Djossou F., Meikle W. G. and Markham R. H. (1994) The effect of maize cob selection and stored maize losses by the larger grain borer P. truncatus (Horn) (Col.: Bostrychidae) and associated storage pests, pp. 909–919. In Stored Product Protection. Proceedings of the 6th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection II, Canberra, Australia (edited by E. Highley, E. J. Wright, H. J. Banks and B. R. Champ). CAB International, Wallingford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boxall R. A. (1986) A Critical Review of the Methodology for Assessing Farm-Level Grain Losses after Harvest. TDRI, London. 139 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardwell K. F. and Cotty P. J. (2002) Distribution of Aspergillus section Flavi among field soils from the four agroecological zones of the Republic of Benin, West Africa. Plant Disease 86, 434–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardwell K. F., Kling J. G., Maziya-Dixon B. and Bosqué-Perez N. A. (2000) Interactions between Fusarium verticillioides, Aspergillus flavus, and insect infestation in four genotypes in lowland Africa. Phytopathology 90, 276.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Délobel A. and Tran M. (1993) Les coléoptères des denrées entreposées dans les régions chaudes. CTA/ORSTOM, Paris. 424 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobie P., Haines C. P., Hodges R. J., Prevett P. F. and Rees D. P. (1991) Insects and Arachnids of Tropical Stored Products: Their Biology and Identification (A training manual). 2nd edn. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham. 246 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowd P. F. (1991) Nitidulids as vectors of mycotoxin-producing fungi, pp. 335–342. In Aflatoxin in Corn. New Perspectives. North Central Regional Research Publication 329 (edited by O. L. Shotwell and C. R. Hurburgh). Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowd P. F. (1998) Involvement of arthropods in the establishment of mycotoxigenic fungi under field conditions, pp. 307–350. In Mycotoxin in Agriculture and Food Safety (edited by K. K. Sinha and D. Bhatnagar). Marcel Dekker, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fandohan P., Langner B. and Mutlu P. (1992) Distribution, recherche et controle du Grand Capucin du mais Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) au Benin, pp. 18–28. In Implementation of and Further Research on Biological Control of the Larger Grain Borer (edited by J. Boeye, M. Wright and G. A. Laborius). GTZ, Eschborn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston K. J., Gregory R. D. and Blackburn T. M. (1999) Interspecific relationships between abundance and occupancy among species of Paridae and Sylviidae in Britain. Ecoscience 6, 131–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwinner J., Harnish R. and Mück O. (1996) Manuel sur la manutention et la conservation des graines après récolte. GTZ, 368 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hell K. (1997) Factors contributing to the distribution and incidence of aflatoxin producing fungi in stored maize in Benin. PhD Thesis, University of Hannover, Germany. 143 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO (1980) Determination of moisture content (on milled grain and whole grain). ISO 6540 180, Geneva, Switzerland.

    Google Scholar 

  • King S. B. and Scott G. E. (1981) Genotypic differences in maize to kernel infection by Fusarium moniliforme. Phytopathology 71, 1245–1247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klich M. A. and Pitt J. I. (1998) A laboratory guide to the common Aspergillus species and their teleomorphs. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Division of Food Processing, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. 116 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marasas W. F. O. (1988) Medical relevance of mycotoxins in southern Africa. Microbiology Aliments, Nutrition/Microbiology, Food and Nutrition 6, 1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meikle W. G., Markham R. H., Holst N., Djomamou B., Schneider H. and Vowotor K. A. (1998) Distribution and sampling of Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in maize stores in Benin. Journal of Economic Entomology 91, 1366–1374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller J. D. (1995) Mycotoxins in Asia: policies for the future. ACIAR Postharvest Newsletter 32, 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munkvold G. P. and Carlton W. M. (1997) Influence of inoculation method on systemic Fusarium moniliforme infection of maize plants grown from infected seeds. Plant Disease 81, 211–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pantenius C. U. (1988) Etat des pertes dans les systèmes de stockage du maïs au niveau des petits paysans de la région maritime du Togo. GTZ, Eschborn, Germany. 83 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitt J. I. and Hocking A. D. (1999) Fungi and Food Spoilage 2nd edn. Chapman & Hall, Gaithersburg, Maryland. 593 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (2003) SAS User’s Guide: Statistics, version 9.1., 9th edn. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholz D., Tchabi A., Borgemeister C., Markham R. H., Poehling H.-M. and Lawson A. (1997) Host-finding behaviour of Prostephanus truncatus: primary attrac-tion or random attack? Journal of Applied Entomology 121, 261–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholz D., Tchabi A., Markham R. H., Poehling H.-M. and Borgemeister C. (1998) Factors affecting pheromone production and behavioural responses by Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 91, 872–878.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schulthess F., Cardwell K. F. and Gounou S. (2002) The effect of endophytic Fusarium verticillioïdes on infestation of two maize varieties by lepidopterous stemborers and coleopteran grain feeders. Phytopathology 92, 120–128.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe T. (1994) Pictorial Atlas of Soil and Seed Fungi. Morphologies of Cultured Fungi and Key to Species. Lewis Publishers, London. 411 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright V. F. (1998) Assessment of insect infestation in stored maize and their relationship to Aspergillus flavus contamination. In Mycotoxin Prevention and Control in Food Grains (edited by R. L. Semple, A. S. Frio, P. A. Hicks and J. V. Lozare). UNDP/FAO Regional Network Inter-Country Cooperation on Preharvest Technology and Quality Control of Foodgrains (REGNET) and Asean Grain Post harvest Programme. Bangkok, Thailand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright V. F., Harein P. K. and Collins N. A. (1980) Preference of the confused flour beetle for certain Penicillium isolates. Environmental Entomology 9, 213–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Supérieure d’Agronomie, Université de Lomé, BP 1515, Lomé, Togo

    Yendouban Lamboni

  2. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 08 BP 0932, Tri postal, Cotonou, Benin

    Yendouban Lamboni & Kerstin Hell

Authors
  1. Yendouban Lamboni
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kerstin Hell
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerstin Hell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lamboni, Y., Hell, K. Propagation of mycotoxigenic fungi in maize stores by post-harvest insects. Int J Trop Insect Sci 29, 31–39 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758409391511

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758409391511

Key words