Detection of Toxin Producing Fungi on the Corn Kernel during Storage at Jimma and its Surrounding District

Abstract

Corn ear before harvest and during storage were infected by different fungi. The current study was aimed to evaluate the species of corn spoiling fungi that produce toxin and determination of the factors that contribute for corn deterioration at storage. The results of this studys howed that, 288 fungi species were isolated, which were belonging to 7 different geneses. Species of Aspergilus (105 to 125%) and Penicillium (76to 90.5%), Fusarium (43 to 51.2%) including dominant fungi were identified as internal and surface mycoflora of the analyzed sample. Alternaria spp. (28.1 to 33.3%) and Rhizopus (19 to 22.6%) genus as internal and surface mycoflora were the next abundance among other species. Based up on the media type used, Aspergilus spp had the highest occurrence of 43 (35.5%), 21 (33.3%), 41(39.4%) while Penicillium spphad the frequency 34 (28.1%) 12 (19.0%), and 30(28.8%) on primary isolate media czapick dox agar (CDA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), and sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) respectively in corn kernel. The frequency of Alternaria and Rhizopus reduced in corn kernel to11 (9.1%), 10 (15.9%) and 7 (6.7%) CDA, PDA and SDA while the rest spp varies in number based up on the media type. The risk of mold and contamination of the corn kernel depends on the complex interaction of several factors which include moisture content, temperature, fungal species composition and their interaction with different organisms. Key words: Spoilage, Alternaria spp, Penicillium spp. and Fusarium.