Linking Eas and Wes A ican a ming sys ems expe ience
in o a BELT o sus ainable in ensi ica ion
Immobilized sodium me abisulphi e
ood g ade p ese a i e bags wi h a
slow elease o sulphu dioxide o
con ol myco oxins in s o ed legumes
and ce eals.
PRACTICE
ABSTRACT
Au ho s: Ca la Ce ini (1), Anil G a es (1), John Bidzakin (1), F ancis
Obuo o Wayua (2), Sheila Oko h (3), Kel in M ei (4)
P ac ice Abs ac n.4
The EWA-BELT P ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean
Union's Ho izon2020 esea ch and inno a ion p og amme unde
ag eemen No 862848
ENGLISH
Au ho s' a ilia ion: (1) C an ield Uni e si y, UK; (2) KALRO-Na ional Se icul u e Resea ch Cen e, Kenya;
(3) Uni e si y o Nai obi, School o Biological Sciences, Kenya; (4) Nelson Mandela A ican Ins i u ion o
Science and Technology, Tanzania
C an ield Uni e si y (CRAN), in collabo a ion wi h A ican pa ne s based in Kenya
and Tanzania, led esea ch on pos -ha es s a egies o con ol myco oxins in
s o ed c ops. The s udy ocused on he use o ood-g ade sodium me abisulphi e
(NaMBS) bags, which slowly elease sulphu dioxide (SO₂). NaMBS is commonly
used as a pos -ha es an i ungal ea men o able g apes, e ec i ely
con olling ungal spoilage caused by Bo y is cine ea (g ey mould) du ing s o age.
This esea ch explo ed he adap a ion o NaMBS pads, designed o g adually
elease SO₂, in o 3 kg capaci y s o age bags as a po en ial s a egy o p e en ing
ungal spoilage and myco oxin p oduc ion in a ious c ops. Lab es s on unshelled
peanu s unde d y (0.85 aw[1]) and we (0.95 aw) condi ions showed SO₂ bags
comple ely inhibi ed ungal g ow h in na u ally con amina ed peanu s, while
educing ungal loads by 72% and 49% in A. la us-inocula ed peanu s a 0.85 and
0.95 aw, espec i ely. A la oxin B1 (AFB1) was also inhibi ed. Fu he ials on
shelled peanu s a 0.85 (d y), 0.90 ( ela i ely d y), and 0.95 (we ) aw o e 21 days
showed a 45% ungal educ ion when peanu s we e s o ed in SO2- eleasing bags
a 0.90 aw. AFB1 was unde ec able a 0.85 and 0.90 aw, while a 0.95 aw, i was
educed 10- old compa ed o peanu s kep in plas ic bags (con ol condi ions).
Ongoing ials by KALRO and he Uni e si y o Nai obi (Kenya) and NM-AIST
(Tanzania) a e e alua ing SO₂ bags o sa e s o age o inge mille , maize,
so ghum, and peanu s a 13%, 15%, 17% and 20% ( om sligh ly high o unsa e)
mois u e con en , compa ed wi h gunny and he me ic PICS bags o e six mon hs.
Findings con i m SO₂ bags e ec i ely educe ungal spoilage and myco oxin
con amina ion, especially in mode a ely d y condi ions. Fu u e esea ch should
op imise scalabili y o widesp ead adop ion in smallholde sys ems.
GA 862848P ac ice abs ac n.4
Immobilized sodium me abisulphi e
ood g ade p ese a i e bags wi h a
slow elease o sulphu dioxide o
con ol myco oxins in s o ed
legumes and ce eals.
[1] Aw: “ ee wa e ” o “wa e ac i i y”. F ee wa e o he wa e ac i i y le el is he amoun o wa e no bound wi h o he non-wa e molecules. Since unbonded
wa e suppo s he g ow h o mic oo ganisms, he s abili y o shel li e o ood is pa ially de e mined by he amoun o ee wa e in a p oduc . I is he a io o a
p oduc ’s apo p essu e o he apo p essu e o dis illed o pu e wa e , ha i is equal o 1.
Linking Eas and Wes A ican a ming sys ems expe ience
in o a BELT o sus ainable in ensi ica ion
GA 862848P ac ice abs ac n.4
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