Incidence of mycotoxins in maize grains in Bihar State, India

Abstract

A regular survey of some maize‐growing areas of Bihar state, India, for three consecutive years (September 1984 to September 1986) revealed heavy infestations of mycotoxin‐producing fungi with different maize samples. Aflatoxin‐producing fungi had the highest frequency of occurrence in all the cases and aflatoxins were the most common mycotoxins elaborated by these fungi. Maize samples of the Kharif crop had a greater incidence of aflatoxins (47%) than the samples of rabi crop (17%). Stored maize grains also had a high incidence of aflatoxins (43%). Most of the contaminated samples contained aflatoxins at levels above 20 μg/kg.