STORAGE DETERIORATION OF MAIZE HAVING PREHARVEST INFECTION WITH ASPERGILLUS-FLAVUS

Deteriorative changes during storage of two different lots of field‐contaminated (by Aspergillus flavus), equally matured and freshly harvested (from two different fields) maize grains of the same cultivar (Ganga) and genotype, and stored under the same natural atmospheric conditions prevailing in the store‐house, were studied and compared. It was found that the rate and extent or grain deterioration were much less in lot‐2 than in lot‐1 which had relatively high pre‐harvest internal fungal (A. flavus) load. However, the deteriorative changes of both the lots could be reduced when the initial A. flavus infection was completely eliminated. Furthermore, of these already contaminated lots, the kernels selected as free of such infection at harvest also suffered less deterioration during storage. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved