Summary and Recommendations of the International Workshop on Aflatoxin Contamination of Groundnut, 6-9 Oct 1987, ICRISAT Center, India

The cultivated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the most important oilseed in the developing world, and is a valuable source of protein for human and animal nutrition. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1985 nearly 19 million hectares were sown to groundnut worldwide, and 21 million tonnes of dried pods were harvested, a little better than one tonne per hectare. About 80% of the world production is from developing countries, and approximately 67% from the semi-arid tropics which is ICRISAT's mandate area. We have been charged by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGI AR) to carry out research on groundnut, particularly aimed at small farmers, since small farmers in the semi-arid tropics are indeed the major producers of the crop. Research on groundnuts started in ICRISAT in 1976, and specific mention was made in the report that led to this program's initiation that it would be necessary to tackle the problem of aflatoxin contamination. The problem was first recognized following outbreaks of Turkey 'X' disease in the United Kingdom in 1960. The common factor in the outbreaks was that the turkeys' diets contained groundnut meal from Brazil. Research in the United Kingdom revealed that the disease was caused by toxins produced by strains of the fungus Aspergillus flavus when growing on the meal, and hence these toxins were named aflatoxins