Management of aflatoxin contamination in groundnut by enhancing host-plant resistance

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) currently ranks first among oilseedcrops in China in terms of annual production, average cropand oil yield, and total crop value. Aflatoxin contamination hasbeen a crucial concern for food safety and market competitivenessin groundnut products in most warm regions where heatand drought stresses are generally serious. Genetic enhancementfor resistance to aflatoxin has been regarded as the mostcost-effective approach to reduce contamination risk in thiscrop. Based on continuous evaluation of groundnut germplasms,including the core collections from China, ICRISAT and USA,several lines have been identified as resistant to Aspergillus infectionor aflatoxin production. Recently, more research effortshave been made in identifying materials with shell resistance toAspergillus infection, through cooperation with ICRISAT. Effortshave also been made in identifying and enhancing germplasmlines with diverse resistance components or mechanisms. SeveralICRISAT breeding lines have been used in improving aflatoxinresistance of groundnut in Chinese institutions. An elite cultivardeveloped at OCRI-CAAS, Zhonghua 6, with desirable resistanceto aflatoxin production, bacterial wilt and pot rot has beenextensively used in central China. Through RNA-seq profiling, itwas found that relative higher resveratrol content in Zhonghua 6was a key mechanism for its reduced aflatoxin production underhigh infection pressure of Aspergillus sp

B Liao et al., 'Management of aflatoxin contamination in groundnut by enhancing host-plant resistance', p.107, 2017