Publications by authors named "A Ortega-Beltran"

In Azerbaijan, hazelnut ( L.) is a crop of economical and nutritional importance. However, recent aflatoxin contamination events in hazelnut produced in Azerbaijan are posing health risks to consumers and reduce marketability.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A research study involved 468 groundnut and 558 maize farmers testing biocontrol products that use harmless fungi strains to combat aflatoxins, showing impressive results over two years.
  • * Treated crops showed aflatoxin levels well within safe limits set by the EU and US, with reductions of 78-98% in groundnuts and 61-93% in maize, indicating the products' effectiveness in improving crop safety and quality.
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Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FBs), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) pose a risk to public health due to their carcinogenic potency (AFs and FBs) and anti-nutritional effects. The hazards associated with mycotoxins are accentuated where food management practices, control, and regulatory systems from farm to plate are sub-optimal. Information on the frequency of these mycotoxins in rice commercialized in markets in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is limited.

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Background: Aflatoxin contamination by section Flavi fungi poses a significant threat to food security and public health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Maize, groundnut, and sorghum are staple crops frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, sometimes at dangerous levels. Despite its detrimental effects, many farmers in SSA lack access to effective tools for mitigating aflatoxin contamination.

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Diseases caused by fungi result in major agricultural losses worldwide. Here, we present two draft genomes of spp. responsible for foliar and pod blight on African yam bean.

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