Aflatoxin contamination of preharvest corn as influenced by timing and method of inoculation

Four corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids were grown in 1977 and 1978 and inoculated with Aspergillus flavus Link 20 or 40 days after silking. Inoculation methods included needle, knife, and multiple-puncture injury to the kernels. The level of aflatoxin contamination, insect damage to the ear, and the percentage of ears having visible greenish A. flavus Link-type mold were determined. Differences among hybrids were not significant for any of the three characteristics measured, although aflatoxin levels of the early-maturing, loose-husked hybrids were approximately twice as high as those of two later-maturing, tight-husked types. Differences among treatments for insect damage rating were not statistically significant. Delaying inoculation until 40 days after silking significantly reduced the aflatoxin contamination level of samples harvested at maturity. Fewer than one-half the ears inoculated at 40 days after silking (35.3%) exhibited visible signs of infection compared with ears inoculated 20 days after silking (82.9%). The needle inoculations were less effective in eliciting aflatoxin production (163 mug/kg and 45.1% visibly infected ears) than were knife (202 mug/kg and 61.8% visibly infected ears) and multiple puncture (305 mug/kg and 70.4% visibly infected ears) methods of inoculation.