Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: corn
- Animal Products: dairy
Practices
- Animal Production: feed/forage
- Crop Production: biological inoculants
- Education and Training: extension, workshop
- Pest Management: biofumigation, biological control, competition
Proposal abstract:
Mycotoxins (toxins produced by molds) contaminate approximately 60-80% of staple food and feed crops, with 25% exceeding regulatory limits. In the Northeast, economically essential crops like corn, crucial for animal feed and dairy production, are frequently impacted. Notably, aflatoxin, generated by Aspergillus spp., poses significant health risks, including liver and lung cancer, impacting global health and food security. Climate change projections indicate increased temperatures, prolonged droughts, and erratic precipitation patterns, promoting higher mycotoxin occurrence globally, including in the Northeast US. This project aims to assess beneficial fungi as a climate-smart solution to mitigate rising aflatoxin levels in corn amidst extreme climate conditions. Specifically, we will test and select the most resilient strains of Trichoderma (beneficial fungi) from current commercial biologicals and newly isolated strains found in PA soil environments. Their resilience will be gauged by their ability to effectively suppress Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production in corn under climate change-simulated temperature and water activity conditions. We will also develop need-specific informational outreach materials to enhance community awareness and engagement in the potential use of biologicals as a mycotoxin management practice. This study marks the initial step in identifying environmentally safe and climate resilient strategies to reduce mycotoxin levels, ensuring the sustainability of food and feed crops, and safeguarding the incomes of corn growers and dairy farms.
Project objectives from proposal:
Objective 1: Investigate the synergistic effects of temperature and water activity combinations (T*Aw) on various biocontrol Trichoderma strains’ growth rate and development.
Hypothesis: Trichoderma strains with the fastest growth rates and highest spore production would be most resilient to T*Aw trials.
Expected outcomes: Trichoderma strains with highly resilient characteristics in T*Aw trials.
Deliverables: Spreadsheet with the genetic characterization of the various isolated Trichoderma strains; graphs showing the changes in growth rate and development (characterized by sporulation, germination/growth rate, and ATP of the different studied Trichoderma stains under the different temperature and water activity combinations.
Objective 2: Evaluate the synergistic effects of adverse T*Aw on the efficacy of select Trichoderma strains from obj 1 in reducing Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin levels using three ecologically relevant models.
Hypotheses:
- In vitro, using the nonvolatile metabolite production and competitive exclusion models, changes in T*Aw won’t impact the inhibition of Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin levels by Trichoderma.
- In vitro, volatile organic compounds production by Trichoderma spp. is impacted by adverse T*Aw, affecting inhibition of Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin levels.
Expected outcomes: Discovery of Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin’s biocontrol agents whose bioactivity is highly resilient to adverse temperature and water activity combination trials and their potential best mode of action.
Deliverables: Spreadsheet with the Aspergillus growth percentage inhibition and aflatoxin levels by different Trichoderma strains using volatiles, non-volatiles, and competition models, with and without Trichoderma treatment under the various temperature and water activity combination trials.
Objective 3: Evaluate the synergistic effects of adverse T*Aw on the efficacy of Trichoderma strains in reducing aflatoxin levels in stored corn grains.
Hypothesis: Trichoderma strains will significantly reduce fungal growth and aflatoxin levels across all temperature and water activity combinations in storage grains.
Expected outcomes: Discovery of Aspergillus growth and aflatoxin’s biocontrol agents whose bioactivity is highly resilient to adverse temperature and water activity combination trials and can be used in storage or to coat seeds before planting.
Deliverables: Spreadsheet with aflatoxin level changes in corn grains with and without Trichoderma treatment under the various temperature and water activity combination trials.