Language
Country/Area
No result found
Diseases and mildew: How does yellow mold affect grain quality after harvest?
Aspergillus flavus is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen worldwide, particularly in post-harvest crops such as cereals and legumes. During the processing and storage of agricultural products, the presence of yellow mold often leads to mildew and the formation of toxins, which in turn affects the quality and safety of grains and their products. This article will take a closer look at how this disease affects cereal production and the importance of management strategies.
Yellow mold often breeds in hidden areas after crops are harvested, and the process of developing into a disease is usually accompanied by excess water and high temperature.
Ecology and infection patterns of yellow mold
Yellow mold can survive in different environmental conditions and particularly prefers tropical humid climates. It grows on a wide range of crops including cereals, legumes and nuts, and is often infected and causes classic diseases such as ear rot or yellow mold before or after harvest.
Yellow mold can reproduce on damaged seeds and spread further through the spores it releases. In cereals, it can invade the seed embryo, resulting in reduced germination rates and further affecting the quality and price of the crop. The occurrence of this disease is usually related to the presence of insects and crop growth stress, such as drought or poor storage conditions.
Plant countermeasures against pathogens
To prevent infection with yellow mold, agricultural experts recommend taking a series of management measures before and after harvest to control humidity and temperature. Storage humidity levels for grains and pulses should be kept below 11.5% to reduce the risk of mould, while temperatures in storage units should also be kept as low as possible to ensure pathogens cannot grow.
Good hygiene management and cleaning of overripe and damaged seeds are important measures to prevent the spread of yellow mold.
In addition, using ventilation systems to maintain low humidity and temperature levels in stored grain is essential to reducing the risk of insects and related diseases. The use of disease-resistant varieties and improved irrigation techniques can also effectively reduce the growth pressure of crops, thereby reducing the risk of infection by yellow mold.
Damage caused by yellow mold
Yellow mold not only reduces crop yields, but also causes a range of health problems, primarily affecting the health of humans and animals through the toxins it produces, such as aflatoxin. These toxins, which are produced during the processing and storage of grains and legumes, pose a threat to consumers’ health and have been linked to serious diseases such as liver cancer.
For example, in 1960, a large number of turkeys on a farm in the United Kingdom died after ingesting peanut meal tainted with yellow mold, an event that prompted major changes in agricultural regulations to control levels of the toxin in agricultural products.
In developing countries, late stage disease of yellow mold can cause crop losses of more than 30%, with long-term impacts on farmers and local economies.
Ecological significance and future challenges
The ecological significance of yellow mold cannot be underestimated. It plays an important role in the decomposition process of soil and trees, but it has become a challenge that must be faced in agricultural production. With climate change and the development of globalized trade, the distribution and impact of yellow mold may further expand, posing greater risks to food security.
Researchers have begun exploring biological control strategies that replace harmful strains with non-toxic strains of yellow mold to reduce toxin production. In addition, proper management and prevention measures of the environment will also be the key to the success of future agricultural production.
As agricultural production becomes more dependent on the environment, how to effectively control the damage caused by yellow mold will be a major challenge in agricultural science.
Have you ever thought about how many new disease challenges our crops will face in the future as climate change intensifies?
