Mycored Europe Conference - Martina Franca, Italy. 28 May 2013

1. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Farmer-Centric, Action-Oriented
Innovation Platforms for Promoting
Adoption of Aflatoxin Biocontrol
in Africa
Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, IITA
Kola Masha, Doreo Partners
Peter Cotty, USDA-ARS
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

2. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Some Definitions
• Farmer-centric: Farmers’ interest
as the foundation of the action
• Action-oriented: Using practical
methods which involve doing
things to deal with problems, not
just talking about ideas, plans, or
theories
• Innovation platform: An approach
to problem solving through which
actors with a stake in a common
issue or set of issues get together
regularly to address their common
challenges.
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

3. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Pre-Harvest Problem
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
Aflatoxin
(ppb)ppb)
Peanut (n = 188) Maize (n = 241)
Distribution (% samples)
> 4 54 70
> 10 41 52
> 20 29 24
Descriptive statistics (ppb)
Minimum < LOD < LOD
Maximum 3487 838
Mean 111 33
LOD = Limit of Detection; States sampled: Nassarawa,
Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa & Niger
Aflatoxin in Groundnut and Maize at Harvest, 2012, Nigeria

4. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Biocontrol
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
 In nature, some strains produce a lot
(toxigenic), and others no aflatoxin
(atoxigenic)
 Atoxigenic strains are already present on
the crop
 Increase the frequency of atoxigenic
strains & shift population profile
 Thus, aflatoxin contamination reduced
 Atoxigenic strains can be applied without
increasing infection and without
increasing the overall quantity of A.
flavus on the crop or in the environment
 Strains move from field to stores
 Multiple year & crop carry-over effect
 We use only native strains
0
25
50
75
100
Natural Biocontrol
Incidence(%)
T
O
X
I
G
E
N
I
C
A
T
O
X
I
G
E
N
I
C

5. Product: Aflasafe
Mixture of 4 native atoxigenic strains
Nigeria

6. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Challenges
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
• Aflatoxin is a hidden problem
• Chemical analysis required
• Awareness is low
• Long incubation for expression
of health impacts
• Regulations either non-existent
or poorly enforced
• Market does not discriminate
• Demonstration of product value
• Lack of biopesticide
manufacturers
The value of a
technology on the
shelf is as much
as the cost of the
space it occupies
on the shelf.
Must translate
knowledge into
usable products
and practices to
benefit people
But……

7. www.iita.org
Farmers treating maize and groundnut fields with Aflasafe in Nigeria
MAIZE: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011 2012
Harvest 82 94 83 93
Storage 92 93 x x
PEANUT: Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Stage 2009 2010 2011
Harvest - 95 82
Storage 100 80 x
Results from 482
on-farm trials
71% and 52% carry-over of
inoculum 1 & 2 years after
application

8. Plots
Observed
aflatoxin
Apparent
reduction
Applied
VCGs
in Control
Aflatoxin if
Applied VCGs
not Present
Actual
Reduction
Treated 17 ppb
64% 88%
Control 49 ppb 66% 143 ppb
Data Measured Calculated Measured Calculated Calculated
www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
KENYA: On-Station Trials
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
Substrate and time of sampling Katumani Kiboko
Soil before application 70 44
Maize grain at harvest 5 0
Incidence (%) of S strain and Aspergillus parasiticus in soil before
treatment and on the crop at harvest, Katumani
Apparent Versus Actual Reductions in Aflatoxin, Bura

9. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Aflasafe-KE01*
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
Number On-Farm Trials, Long Rains, 2012, Kenya
Province County Fields
Eastern Embu 60
Makueni 46
Machakos 42
Kitui 27
Coast Tana 40
Total 215
*Aflasafe KE01 is a mixture of four strains from Machakos, Makueni and Tana

10. www.iita.org
Farmers treating groundnut fields
Aflatoxin Reduction:
2010 : 87% at harvest; 89% after Storage
2011: 82% at harvest; 93% after Storage
38 Farms Treated in 2010
40 Farms Treated in 2011
196 Farms Treated in 2012
Senegal: aflasafe SN01
www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

11. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Product Types
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
National
Products
Products ready for registration
Products under testing
Strain development in progress
Aflasafe-NigeriaTM
Aflasafe-SenegalTM
Aflasafe-KenyaTM etc…
Aflasafe-WestTM
Aflasafe-EastTM
Aflasafe-SouthTM
Regional
Products
Senegal
Mali
Burkina
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
Tanzania
Mozambique
Zambia

12. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Aflasafe Production in Lab
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
30 tons produced in 2011 and 2012 for deployment

13. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Training & Use by Farmers
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

14. Policy Statement by the Honourable
Minister of Agriculture, Nigeria
Various Nigerian stakeholders have
developed a 5 year, 4 step
commercialization plan. All parties
involved, IITA, Doreo, and the
government, have critical roles to
play over the next five years to
ensure that Aflasafe treated food
crops are successfully introduced
into the market.
Dr Akin Adesina

15. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Markets for Aflasafe
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
Poultry industry
Export-oriented aggregators
Food processors
Large commercial farmers
Smallholder farmers
Market based
• Poultry feed
• Premium food
market
AgResults (Incentive-
cum-market based)
marketdemandfor
Aflasafe • 60% maize consumed by farmers
• 40% sold in the market

16. Maize & Poultry Growth
• Nigerian maize production
has grown from 4 million
metric tons in 2000 to a 7.3
million metric tons in 2010
• Nigerian poultry production
has grown from 113 Million
birds in 2000 to 192 million
birds in 2010
• Poultry feed is
approximately 60% maize.
• >60% of maize has >20 ppb
aflatoxin
• Poultry farmers currently
paying $3-13 per ton of
feed for aflatoxin binders
• Annual demand for maize:
1 million tons
Nigerian Govt Bans
Poultry Imports
Index of growth in production for maize and
poultry relative to Nigeria’s production in 1961*
Measure: Relative growth in production
Poultry Industry… Key Driver of Domestic Maize Production

17. Poultry Feeding Study
$3,200 net
profit from
10,000 birds
in 8 weeks
www.iita.orgMycored Europe, 28 May, 2013A member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
Aflasafe maize feed
Toxic maize feed

18. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium
Key Economic Drivers
• Ex-factory price: $12.2
including 28% EBITDA
• Farm Gate price: $15.6
• Maize yield required for
farmers to recover aflasafe
cost + 33% profit: 3.5 t/ha
• Yield enhancement to go
hand in with aflasafe use
• Innovation Platform:
Poultry farmers to buy all
aflasafe maize at a
premium
Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013

19. Willingness to Pay
www.iita.orgMycored Europe, 28 May, 2013A member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
100%
99%
83%
60%
25%
19%
34%
31%
18%
12%
5% 4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
$0 $3 - $6 $6 -$9 $9 - $12 $12 - $15 $15 - $19 $20
Farmers who have used Aflasafe (n=246) Farmers who have not used Aflasafe (n=119)
Target Farm Gate Price
Range
• All prior-users willing to pay; almost 50% non-users willing to pay
• Prior-users willing to pay more than non-users Source: G. Okpachu & T. Abdoulaye

20. www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Date: 28 May, 2013
Aflasafe Plant Plan
Lab
Inoculation, Packaging
& Product Storage
Grain Intake,
Cleaning,
Pasteurisation
and Storage
Capacity
5 tons/hour

21. Babban Gona Pilot
www.iita.orgA member of CGIAR consortium Mycored Europe, 28 May, 2013
• Farmers’ cooperative with professional management
• Credit, inputs and technical services
• Yield enhancing practices
• Aflatoxin awareness
• Aflasafe use
• Aflatoxin testing – 100% met standard
• Incentive for meeting aflatoxin standard
• Warehousing
• Output marketing – linking to market
• Return profit after sale ($140/ha)
• Farmers keep part of the harvest for family use

22. Summary• Aflatoxins in food and feed pervasive
in Africa
• Biological control in conjunction with
other management practices can
dramatically reduce aflatoxin
contamination and improve food
safety and security
• Efforts underway to pilot
commercialization of aflatoxin
biocontrol and develop regional
strains
• Technologies available but must be
implemented to reduce aflatoxin
burden in African economies and
food system
• Support and partnership needed
from national governments,
regulators, donors/investors, private
food/feed sector and farmer groups

23. www.iita.org
Experimental
varieties
Aflatoxin reduction (%)
Resistance
alone
Biocontrol
alone
Resistance +
Biocontrol
RSYN2-Y 66 (60) 91 (90) 97 (96)
RSYN3-W 88 (46) 74 (94) 97 (97)
SYN3-Y 68 (66) 91 (95) 97 (98)
TZB-SR (Susc.) 58 (1152) ppb 92 (86)
% Reduction in experimental varieties compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions
% Reduction in varieties with biocontrol compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions
% Reduction in biocontrol treated plots compared to control plots of the same experimental variety
% Reduction in varieties with biocontrol compared to susceptible variety (TZB-SR) under natural conditions
% Reduction in biocontrol treated plots compared to untreated plots of the same variety
Synergistic Effect of Resistance and
Biocontrol in Reducing Aflatoxins at
Harvest and after poor storage

24. Ibadan
IITA
Tucson
USDA/ARS
IITA, USDA & Doreo have Teamed up to Bring
Aflatoxin Prevention to Africa
Made Possible by Many National Partners in Ministries, Industry, and on the Farm
Nigeria
For more information about aflatoxin biocontrol for Africa, check out: www.aflasafe.com