Aflasafe in Africa: progress and prospects for biocontrol in aflatoxin mitigation R Bandyopadhyay, J Atehnkeng, J Augusto, F Beed, T Dubois, C Mutegi, S Boniface, V Manyong International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) D Cassidy United States Agency for International Development (USAID) P Cotty University of Arizona/USDA-ARS O Hasson, P Warrior Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation K Masha Doreo Partners M McDaniel, J Sandahl United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-FAS) J Mignouna African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) Aflatoxin Stakeholder Workshop, TFDA and Abt Associates December 3-4, Dar es Salaam Tanzania Perfect aflatoxin storm in sub-Saharan Africa susceptible crops susceptible climate 35o N & S suboptimal production systems Aflatoxin levels in the market Kenya district samples total aflatoxin levels (ppb) <20 21-99 100-1,000 >1,000 Makueni 91 35 13 40 12 Kitui 73 38 21 32 10 102 49 25 23 3 Thika 76 66 17 13 4 Total 342 47% 19% 27% 7% Machakos CDC and Kenyan Ministry of Health 2004 Mozambique B1 B2 G1 mean 50.0 ppb 7.8 ppb 14.6 ppb range 0–519 ppb 0–93 ppb 0–137 ppb G2 total 3.9 ppb 76.3 ppb 0–65 ppb Mozambique Ministry of Health 2004 Human health effects in Africa acute acute hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis, carcinoma chronic carcinogenic anti-nutritional immune-suppressive underreported unknown BBC 2004, Gong et al 2004, NIEHS 2010 Animal health effects in Africa aflatoxin diet (500 ppb) 40% reduction in live weight (8 weeks) aflatoxin-free diet aflatoxin levels in broiler feeds in Nigeria aflatoxin level (ppb) aflatoxin-free diet aflatoxin diet (500 ppb) samples < 20 (safe) 38 % 20 – 100 14 % 100 – 500 41 % 500 - 1000 7% IITA unpublished Effect on trade Malawi, Nigeria and Senegal groundnut exports to Europe decimated EC 2007 Biocontrol of aflatoxins: principle B aflatoxin (B1, B2) G aflatoxin (G1, G2) A. flavus ‘L-strains’ +/- - A. flavus ‘S-strains’ + - A. flavus ‘SBG strains’ + + A.Xparasiticus + + A.Xnomius + + A.xtamarii - - shift fungal community from toxigenic to atoxigenic 75 50 atox field application of atoxigenic L strain that outcompetes the toxigenic ones 100 tox “competitive exclusion principle”: incidence of toxigenic strains (%) Species/strain 25 0 natural biocontrol From Southern USA… Registered and commercialized since 2004 in the US on maize, cotton, pistachio as AF36 and Aflaguard (Syngenta) AF36 in Arizona: 590 ton in 2012 82,000 ha cotton and 100,000 ha pistachio in 2012 Routine agronomic practice across counties effective and carry-over in multiple crops over multiple years in various cropping systems AF36 manufacturing facility Arizona Cotton Research & Protection Council … to Africa biocontrol strain local field partners testing biocontrol strain local field partners testing biocontrol strain local field partners testing biocontrol strain local field partners testing biocontrol strain local partners Zambia 2011 biocontrol strain local partners Tanzania 2012 Mozambique 2013 Ghana 2013 Mali 2013 local production commercialization capacity distribution awareness Senegal 2007 Burkina Faso 2009 Kenya 2004 Nigeria 2003 Strain selection prior to field testing step 1 step 2 step 3 isolation sequencing (aflatoxin and CPA) competition bioassays toxin analysis genetic profiling (SSR) VCG profiling Pre-field selection criteria does not produce aflatoxin can genetically not produce aflatoxin can genetically not produce CPA outcompetes toxigenic strains belongs to different clonal lineages (SSR) VCG with wide geographic distribution in country VCG does not contain a single toxigenic member ~12 native strains are tested in the field Selection of 4 strains selection criteria: superior aflatoxin reduction superior capacity to outcompete toxigenic ones 4 native strains formulated into a registered product: 10 kg ha-1 www.iita.org Performance of Aflasafe in farmers’ fields B-aflatoxin reduction in maize at harvest, Senegal (2010) village fields Diourbel Nioro Mean 19 19 aflatoxin conc (ng/g) Aflasafe control 1.9 29.7 4.4 17.6 reduction 93% 75% 87% B-aflatoxin reduction in maize at storage, Nigeria (2010) village Maigana Pampaida Lere Birnin Mean fields 22 10 9 10 aflatoxin conc (ng/g) Aflasafe control 17 646 9 171 49 271 14 96 reduction 99% 95% 82% 85% 90% IITA unpublished Aflasafe plant in Nigeria 5 t h-1 Develop cheaper, more effective formulations and manufacturing methods compatible with Africa that can be transferred to private sector Regionalization strains: regional strains (PACA) manufacturing: regional hubs registration: regional protocols Aflasafe-Nigeria Aflasafe-Senegal Aflasafe-West Aflasafe-Kenya Aflasafe-East Aflasafe-Zambia Aflasafe-South Aflasafe-Mozambique market demand for Aflasafe How to get Aflasafe to market? animal breeders incentives are present export-oriented aggregators aggregation market access food processors large commercial farmers ? smallholder farmers no regulation enforcement no demand for aflatoxinfree maize no supply of aflatoxin-free maize no awareness Asante sana: AATF Abt Associates ACDI/VOCA ADA Ag Dev Program, Nigeria African Union Animal Care, Nigeria Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation COMESA Crop Research Institute, Ghana Dalberg Associates Doreo Partners DPV, Senegal ECOWAS Elephant Vert, Marocco FEPASO, Burkina Faso Government of Mozambique GIZ ICRISAT IFA-Tulln, Austria IFAR INERA, Burkina Faso KARI, Kenya KEPHIS, Kenya Nigerian Mycotoxin Society KNUST, Ghana NISIR, Zambia Livestock Feed PLC, Nigeria Obasanjo Farms, Nigeria Maize Association of Nigeria PASO, Burkina Faso Manufacturers Association of Nigeria PCPB, Kenya PQPS, Zambia Maslaha Seeds, Nigeria Meridien Institute Sokoine University, Tanzania Mikocheni, Tanzania Sylvain Bio, France Millennium Village Program, Nigeria TFDA Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya TPRI Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania UNIDO Ministry of Health, Nigeria Université G Berger, Senegal NAFDAC, Nigeria University of Arizona, USA NEARLS, Nigeria University of Ibadan, Nigeria NEPAD Business Group University of Bonn, Germany Nestle USAID Nigerian Economic Summit Group USDA-ARS Nigerian Export Promotion Council USDA-FAS … and of course the farmers US Embassy, Kenya ZARI, Zambia