Incidence of mycotoxins in maize grains in Bihar State, India

A regular survey of some maize-growing areas of Bihar state, India, for three consecutive years (September 1984 to September 1986) revealed heavy infestations of mycotoxin-producing fungi with different maize samples. Aflatoxin-producing fungi had the highest frequency of occurrence in all the cases and aflatoxins were the most common mycotoxins elaborated by these fungi. Maize samples of the Kharif crop had a greater incidence of aflatoxins (47%) than the samples of rabi crop (17%). Stored maize grains also had a high incidence of aflatoxins (43%). Most of the contaminated samples contained aflatoxins at levels above 20 micrograms/kg.