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PARTNERSHIPS FOR ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH (PEER)
Cycle 8 (2019 Deadline)


Production of commercial bioplastic-based biopesticide to control aflatoxin contamination in crops

PI: Amadou Hamadoun Babana (ahbabana@laborem-biotech.com, amadou.babana@usttb.edu.ml), University of Sciences, Techniques, and Technologies
of Bamako (USTTB)
U.S. Partner: Hamed K. Abbas, United States Department of Agriculture/ Agricultural Research Service
Project Dates: August 2020 - November 2021

Project Overview:

8-102 Lab Team
The PEER team outside the lab (photo courtesy of Dr. Babana).
Peanut and maize are important crops in West Africa, mainly due to their contribution to poverty reduction and food security. Unfortunately, however, aflatoxin contamination constitutes a major constraint on crop utilization and trade in the crops in Africa. Aflatoxins are potently toxic secondary metabolites produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus. Because of the compound’s high toxicity, the European Union has banned the import of peanuts with an aflatoxin content above 4 μg/kg, restricting African peanuts to limited circulation in international trade. Beyond the economic significance, there are important health concerns as well. An estimated 500 million of the poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia are exposed to mycotoxins at levels that substantially increase mortality and morbidity. Aflatoxin contamination of crops is now considered a worldwide food safety concern. For the past five years, scientists from USTTB have shown that a locally isolated Bacillus sphaericus OP6 inhibits fungal growth and aflatoxin production by more than 90% under laboratory conditions. But, this strain was less effective on peanut under field conditions. Bacteria spread well through wet/liquid environments because they use flagella to spread, whereas fungi grow through even dry soil. Wet soil is not good for peanuts, so a biopesticide containing biocontrol fungi only or associated with biocontrol bacteria is needed in the Sahelian region. Granules of bioplastic (cornstarch-based material) have been investigated as an alternative nutritive carrier for biocontrol microbes and compounds. Bioplastic-based biopesticides give effective reduction of more than 90% of aflatoxin contamination. The bioplastic formulations have proven to be economically cost-effective, easily applicable to modern farming equipment, and shelf stable for long-term storage. To date, bioplastic formulation technology has not been scaled up for use by farmers in Africa. The primary goal of this study is to increase food security in Mali, with the main objective being to improve peanut productivity, quality, and competitiveness through the production of commercial bioplastic-based biopesticide. This project builds on the research experiences of the PI Dr. Babana and his project team on mycotoxigenic fungi, aflatoxin-producing fungi, aflatoxin controlling bacteria, and bioplastic-based biopesticide formulation using biocontrol microbes. The main result expected for this project is the production of a commercial bioplastic biopesticide to control aflatoxin contamination of crops in Africa.

By producing commercial bioplastic-based biopesticides in Mali and using local aflatoxin-controlling microbes and materials, the PI estimates that the nation could save as much as $3.4 million per year in scarce foreign exchange that could then be used for other government development priorities such as health and education. By combining aflatoxin-controlling biopesticide and bioplastic to produce an efficient bioplastic biopesticide, the project should also provide a much-needed boost to the peanut production sector, which has been an ailing segment of the economy of Mali. By improving peanut yield and quality while diminishing pesticide expenses, this project will also contribute to alleviating smallholder poverty in Africa. In many of peanut growing systems in Africa, mainly in Mali, women are the primary growers of peanuts, producing the crop to assure food security at the household level and improve incomes for themselves and their families. The project will include women in the bioplastic biopesticide production and commercialization processes and ensure that they have access to training and knowledge for implementing the technology and thus raising their incomes. Techniques and technologies developed in this project with peanut farmers will be readily transferable to other crops such as cereals. Relationships developed with farmers as part of this project will also build trust and enhance farmer amenability to the adoption of other sustainable agriculture practices to increase organic food production.

Overall Summary of Activities

This project sought to develop a bioplastic biopesticide to reduce contamination of aflatoxin in critical Malian crops, namely peanuts and maize. Overall, the project was a success in that the team was able to isolate an Aspergillus flavus strain which cannot produce aflatoxin and Cyclopropionic acid (CPA). They then produced potato starch bioplastic and formulated bioplastic-based biopesticides containing atoxicogenic Aspergillus flavus or the Bacillus sphaericus OP6 spores. The formulated biopesticides were used in field tests in collaboration with farmers and also at research fields. Results showed that the use of these biopesticides allowed farmers to produce peanuts and maize with aflatoxin contents within the European standard of 4ug/kg.

To achieve their objective of increasing the production of peanuts and corn without aflatoxin by 30%, the team held numerous meetings and workshops to inform farmers and stakeholders of their efforts and targeted results, as well as secure their support and cooperation for testing. Overall, over two hundred farmers from the project execution area were trained on the best agricultural practices to produce aflatoxin-free crops, mainly peanuts. During the follow up workshops, over one hundred researchers, farmers and agro-dealers were informed on cereal contamination with aflatoxins, the best agricultural technique practices to produce aflatoxin-free crops, and the use of biopesticides to control aflatoxins in cereals. Additionally, twenty-five farmers participated in the biopesticide field tests and more than two hundred farmers observed the field visits to see the results. These farmers gained information on the mode of action of the biopesticide and saw its beneficial impact on other pathogens that impact the crops.

Project results attracted significant attention and the president of the Malian Association of Users of Research Results contacted the team seeking more information and to obtain the biopesticide, which is now in great demand among peanut producers from the testing phase. After two working sessions, they decided to aim to provide the biopesticide to all producers in the major peanut and maize production areas in Mali. The team met with a biopesticide production company collaborating with the association to facilitate expanded access to the biopesticide. Another biopesticide production company also expressed interest in the product and decided to participate in further field tests. If the results are proven in these additional tests, the company plans to provide financial support to improve the biopesticide further.


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