ARS registers new aflatoxin-resistant corn lines

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has registered six new inbred corn lines that are resistant to aflatoxin contamination.

The new lines are resistant to aflatoxins, which are toxins produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus after it infects agricultural commodities such as corn. Contamination of corn with aflatoxins causes financial losses for growers and is a potential health hazard to animals and humans.

Found in soil, on crops and in air, A. flavus infects susceptible crops before harvest, so host resistance is a widely explored strategy to eliminate aflatoxins. The developers first screened and then combined the top aflatoxin-resistant lines found in the US with those found in Central and West Africa.

The developers also used a highly effective and rapid ''kernel screening assay'' to separate resistant seeds from non-resistant ones. The six lines have demonstrated good resistance against aflatoxin accumulation in the researchers' laboratory and field tests.

The six corn lines have been described in the Journal of Plant Registrations. Seeds of the lines are being maintained at the ARS National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado.

After being certified ''disease-free'' for public release, the germplasm can be used in public or private breeding programmes to develop aflatoxin-resistant corn lines for growers both nationally and internationally.