Assessment of Farmers Maize Production Practices and Effect of Triple-Layer Hermetic Storage on the Population of Fusarium Spp. and Fumonisin Contamination

Abstract

Abstract Fumonisin contamination of maize by Fusarium spp. is a major risk in food security, human and animal health. A study was carried out in Kaiti District, Makueni County in Kenya, to assess the effectiveness of triple-layer hermetic (PICS™) bags in the management of Fusarium spp. and fumonisin contamination of stored maize grains. Maize production practices including scale of production, methods of land preparation, variety grown and storage methods were obtained with a questionnaire. Fusarium spp. in soil and maize were isolated by dilution-plating method and fumonisin content in maize was measured. Majority (86.7%) of the farmers were smallholders who mostly stored maize in polypropylene (PP) bags. Fusarium proliferatum was predominant in soil (1.4 x 103 CFU/g of soil) and stored grain (2.7 x 103 CFU/g of maize) while F. oxysporum was predominant in freshly harvested grain (1.4 x103 CFU/g of maize). The population of Fusarium spp. was 74.6% higher in PP than in PICS bags after three months of storage. Total fumonisin in maize grains sampled at harvest and after three-months storage ranged from < 2 to 6.0 ppm and was 57.1% lower in PICS bags than in PP bags. The population of Fusarium spp. in maize was positively correlated with fumonisin levels. The findings of this study demonstrate that PICS bags can effectively manage the population of Fusarium spp. and accumulation of fumonisin in stored maize.