Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of soil temperature and drought on peanut pod and stem temperatures relative to Aspergillus flavus invasion and aflatoxin contamination

  • Published:
Mycopathologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Peanut stem and pod temperatures of plants growing in irrigated, drought, drought-heated soil, and drought-cooled soil treatments were determined near the end of the growing season. Mean soil temperatures of the treatments during this period were 21.5°, 25.5°, 30° and 20 °C, respectively. Peanut stem temperatures in all drought treatments reached a maximum of ca. 40 °C and for 6–7 h each day were as much as 10 °C warmer than irrigated peanut stems. Pod temperatures in drought-heated soil and drought treatments were ca. 34 °C and 30 °C, respectively, for several hours each day. As pod temperatures approached the optimum for A. flavus growth (ca. 35 °C), the proportion of kernels colonized and aflatoxin concentrations increased. Increased plant temperature without accompanying pod temperature increases (drought-cooled soil) resulted in colonization percentages and aflatoxin concentrations only slightly higher than those of the irrigated peanuts.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

References

  1. Blankenship, P. D., R. J. Cole & T. H. Sanders, 1980. Rainfall control plot facility at National Peanut Research Laboratory. Proc. Am. Peanut Res. Ed. Assoc. 12: 46.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Blankenship, P. D., R. J. Cole, T. H. Sanders & R. A. Hill. Effect of geocarposphere temperature on preharvest colonization of drought stressed peanuts by Aspergillus flavus and subsequent aflatoxin contamination. Mycopathologia (in press).

  3. Cole, R. J., R. A. Hill, P. D. Blankenship, T. H. Sanders & K. H. Garren, 1981. Influence of irrigation and drought stress on Aspergillus flavus invasion of corn kernels and peanut pods. Dev. Ind. Microbiol. 23: 229–236.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dickens, J. W., J. B. Satterwhite & R. E. Sneed, 1973. Aflatoxin contaminated peanuts produced on North Carolina farms in 1968. J. Am. Peanut Res. Ed. Assoc. 5: 48–58.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Diener, U. L. & N. D. Davis, 1977. Aflatoxin formation in peanuts by Aspergillus flavus. Agricultural Experiment Station bulletin no. 493, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Ala.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Griffin, G. J. & K. H. Garren, 1976. Colonization of aerial peanut pegs by Aspergillus flavus and A. niger-group fungi under field conditions. Phytopathology 66: 1161–1162.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hill, R. A., P. D. Blankenship, R. J. Cole & T. H. Sanders, 1983. The effects of soil moisture and temperature on preharvest invasion of peanuts by the Aspergillus flavus group and subsequent aflatoxin development. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 45: 628–633.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Sanders, T. H., R. A. Hill, R. J. Cole & P. D. Blankenship, 1981. Effect of drought on occurrence of Aspergillus flavus in maturing peanuts. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 58: 966A–970A.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wells, T. R. & W. A. Kreutzer, 1972. Aerial invasion of peanut flower tissues by Aspergillus flavus under gnotobiotic conditions. Phytopathology 62: 797.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Peanut Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 31742, Dawson, Georgia

    Timothy H. Sanders, Paul D. Blankenship & Richard J. Cole

  2. Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, 31793, Tifton, Georgia

    Robert A. Hill

Authors
  1. Timothy H. Sanders
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul D. Blankenship
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard J. Cole
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Robert A. Hill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sanders, T.H., Blankenship, P.D., Cole, R.J. et al. Effect of soil temperature and drought on peanut pod and stem temperatures relative to Aspergillus flavus invasion and aflatoxin contamination. Mycopathologia 86, 51–54 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437229

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437229

Keywords

Search

Navigation