Agrobacterium as a Suspected CAUSE - EPA documents have been recently updated!!!

[Enviro Girl]

The Organic Center :: State of Science :: Pesticides

State of Science :: Pesticides

"Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years"
November 2009
Author(s): Charles Benbrook, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist
The Organic Center
Genetically-engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton now account for the majority of acres planted to these three crops. A model was developed that utilizes official, U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide use data to estimate the differences in the average pounds of pesticides applied on GE crop acres, compared to acres planted to conventional, non-GE varieties.

The basic finding is that compared to pesticide use in the absence of GE crops, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides over the last 13 years as a result of planting GE seeds. This difference represents an average increase of about 0.25 pound for each acre planted to a GE trait.

GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace. In 2008, GE crop acres required over 26% more pounds of pesticides per acre than acres planted to conventional varieties. The report projects that this trend will continue as a result of the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

The full report is 69 pages, and is accessible below. The Executive Summary is posted separately (15 pages). The Supplemental Tables listed in the report's Table of Contents are also posted below.
Front Matter and "Executive Summary" (840 kbs, 14 pages)
"Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years" (2.9 MBs, 69 pages)
Supplemental Tables

http://www.organic-center.org/report...rontMatter.pdf

http://www.organic-center.org/report...FullReport.pdf

http://www.organic-center.org/report...alTablesv2.pdf

The Organic Center :: State of Science :: Pesticides

[Enviro Girl]

Aspergillus flavus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aspergillus flavus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus
Scientific classification

Kingdom: Fungi

Phylum: Ascomycota

Class: Eurotiomycetes

Order: Eurotiales

Family: Trichocomaceae

Genus: Aspergillus

Species: A. flavus
Binomial name

Aspergillus flavus
Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link, 1809

Aspergillus flavus is a fungus. It is a common mold in the environment, and can cause storage problems in stored grains. It can also be a human pathogen, associated with aspergillosis of the lungs and sometimes causing corneal, otomycotic, and nasoorbital infections. Many strains produce significant quantities of aflatoxin[1], a carcinogenic and acutely toxic compound. A. flavus spores are allergenic. A. flavus sometimes causes losses in silkworm hatcheries.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Disease in humans
• 2 Appearance in culture
• 3 Mold damage
• 4 References
• 5 External links

[edit] Disease in humans
A. flavus is the second most common agent of aspergillosis, the first being Aspergillus fumigatus. A. flavus may invade arteries of the lung or brain and cause infarction. Neutropenia predisposes to aspergillus infection.
Aspergillus flavus also produces a toxin (aflatoxin) which is one of the aetiological agents for hepatocellular carcinoma. [2]
[edit] Appearance in culture
A. flavus grows as a yellow-green mold in culture. Like other Aspergillus species it produces a distinctive conidiophore composed of a long stalk supporting an inflated vesicle. Conidiogenous cells on the vesicle produce the conidia. Many strains of A. flavus exhibit a greenish fluorescence under UV light that is correlated with levels of aflatoxin production.
[edit] Mold damage
A. flavus is particularly common on corn and peanuts, as well as water damaged carpets, and is one of several species of mold known to produce aflatoxin which can cause acute hepatitis, immunosuppression, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The absence of any regulation of screening for the fungus in countries which also have a high prevalence of viral hepatitis highly increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.
[edit] References
1. ^ Klich MA. (2007). Aspergillus flavus: the major producer of aflatoxin. Molecular Plant Pathology 8(6): 713-22.
2. ^ Crawford JM, Liver and Biliary Tract. Pathologic Basis of Disease, ed. Kumar V, et al. 2005, Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders. p. 924
[edit] External links
• Aspergillus flavus Genome Sequencing Project
• Aspergillus flavus research
This Ascomycota-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This plant disease article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from Aspergillus flavus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Categories: Aspergillus | Parasitic fungi | Ascomycota stubs | Plant disease stubs

This page was last modified on 4 July 2009 at 21:34.

[Enviro Girl]

http://biopesticide.ucr.edu/abstract...y_abstract.pdf

(says PDF in link created/last modified 10/27/06 10:29:05 AM Pdf author's initials 'Lek' - Post 1/2)

DEVELOPMENT OF ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS AF36
Peter J. Cotty
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Department of
Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Contact Person: pjcotty@email.arizona.edu
Aflatoxins are highly toxic cancer causing fungal metabolites known to cause immune-system
suppression, growth retardation, liver disease, and death in both humans and domestic animals.
Human exposure to aflatoxins is limited by regulations that prohibit the use of crops containing
excess quantities of aflatoxins for foods and feeds. Aflatoxins are regulated in part per billion
(ppb) ranges with the maximum allowable level varying with country and intended use of the
commodity. The quantity permitted in U.S. foods ranges from 0.5 ppb to 20 ppb. Aspergillus
flavus, the asexual species responsible for most aflatoxin contamination of many crops, is
composed of many genetic groups, called vegetative compatibility groups, that vary widely in
several characteristics. Aspergillus flavus is not sufficiently aggressive as a pathogen to cause
meaningful losses in yield. However, infection of crop components predisposed by stress, insect
damage or the environment can result in high aflatoxin levels. Relatively small proportions of a
crop infected with highly toxic isolates can result in unacceptable crop aflatoxin content. Isolates of
A. flavus belonging to different vegetative compatibility groups may produce widely different
quantities of aflatoxins and fungal communities resident in different areas frequently vary in
average aflatoxin-producing potential. Some naturally occurring isolates of A. flavus produce no
aflatoxins and are called atoxigenic strains. Certain atoxigenic strains have the ability to
competitively exclude aflatoxin-producing strains during crop infection and thereby reduce
aflatoxin contamination. One of these, AF36, has been registered as a biological control for the
competitive exclusion of aflatoxin producing fungi from cottonseed. The registration process for
AF36 that began in 1993 and extended over a decade succeeded in facilitating treatment of over
100,000 acres (Figure 1). The process was greatly facilitated by the IR-4 which served as a liaison
and helped prepare and file submissions to EPA.
Many atoxigenic strains are effective at reducing contamination in vitro. However, fewer are
effective at reducing aflatoxin contamination during crop infection and in vitro activity does not
predict in vivo activity. Laboratory, greenhouse and field plot tests indicated high efficacy of
AF36 in competitively excluding aflatoxin producers and reducing aflatoxin contamination of
cottonseed and corn (Figure 2). However, it was not until entire commercial cotton fields were
treated under an experimental use registration that the full potential of atoxigenic strain technology
became apparent. For the registration process the dynamics of population shifts in A. flavus
communities was monitored carefully. The proportion of A. flavus communities composed of the
highly toxigenic S strain and of AF36 were monitored prior to treatment, on the crop, and annually
after treatment. AF36 was monitored by characterizing numerous A. flavus isolates by vegetative
compatibility analyses. Treatments caused large reductions in the incidence of aflatoxin producers
on treated crops and in soils one year after application and these changes to the A. flavus
community structures were achieved without increasing the quantity of overall A. flavus present
(Figure 4). These changes to the structure of A. flavus communities influence not only crop
aflatoxin content, but the environment as a whole. Propagules (i.e. spores, sclerotia and mycelial
fragments) of aflatoxin-producing Aspergilli contain large concentrations of aflatoxins. Thus as
incidences of atoxigenic strains increase and aflatoxin-producers decrease, and incidences and
concentrations of aflatoxins in the soil, air, and throughout the environment also decrease. Thus,
use of the pesticide Aspergillus flavus AF36 is in the public interest. Long-term and area-wide
influences of applications become an emphasis of AF36 development. Many users of atoxigenic
strains seek long-term modifications to the fungal communities in order to reduce risks of aflatoxin
contamination in both treated and rotation crops.
The application rate for AF36 is 10 lb/acre. The end use product consists of steam sterilized wheat
seed colonized by the atoxigenic A. flavus strain AF36. The product is axenic with only the
intended atoxigenic strain present. After colonization, the product is dried and stored for up to 9
months prior to delivery to farms. The product is produced in a manufacturing facility operated by
a farmer run organization, the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council (ACRPC, Figure
3). The process and facility were developed by a partnership between ARS and ACRPC. Quality
controls agreed to for the Experimental Registration are maintained as useful insurance of quality
product to farmers. For AF36, the registration process was approached as a scientific one. EPA
was open to many non-traditional types of information that were ecological in nature. Ecological
approaches lead to investigation of the populations of aflatoxin-producing and closely related fungi
in natural habitats of the Sonoran desert and in the air above agricultural regions. Several
discoveries from these studies have significance well beyond the registration process. Aspergillus
flavus strain AF36 was found to be endemic not only to agricultural fields, but also to natural
habitats. These studies showed that agricultural practices inevitably alter A. flavus communities
both qualitatively and quantitatively and this can result in average aflatoxin-producing potentials
being greater for fungal communities in agricultural fields than for fungal communities in natural
habitats. Later, detailed studies showed that soil type, location, and crop rotation all alter the
composition and thus the average aflatoxin-producing potential of A. flavus communities resident
in a given region. Highly toxic A. flavus was found in natural habitats along with incidences of
deadly aflatoxin levels in samples of native leguminous seeds.
In selecting AF36 as the atoxigenic strain to develop as a commercial biocontrol agent, its efficacy
was contrasted with those of other atoxigenic strains in greenhouse and field plot tests. The natural
distribution of AF36 on the target crop (cotton) across target regions was also considered.
Potential adverse environmental impacts were avoided by not applying A. flavus strains to fields in
regions where they did not naturally occur. Relative incidence of strains (defined here as VCGs)
on the target crop in target regions was taken as a measure of relative adaptation to the crop. It was
thought that the most common strains on the crop in these regions would have the greatest
adaptation to both the crops and the environments in which the biocontrol needed to work.
Atoxigenic strains used for biocontrol need to be highly competitive during crop colonization and
infection and throughout the crop environment. AF36 occurred in all the target regions and was the
most common atoxigenic strain on the cotton crop throughout these regions.

[Enviro Girl]

http://biopesticide.ucr.edu/abstract...y_abstract.pdf

(says PDF in link created/last modified 10/27/06 10:29:05 AM Pdf author's initials 'Lek' - Post 2/2)

AF36 is an excellent
choice for biocontrol strategies based on single atoxigenic strains. However, many other
atoxigenic strains also have efficacy. Certain less common strains may be active under specific
conditions or in minor components of fields. Natural communities of A. flavus endemic to
agricultural fields and associated with crops are highly diverse and are composed of many VCGs.
After fields are treated with AF36, the resident communities become dominated by AF36.
Increased displacement and greater long-term stability of modified communities might be achieved
by utilizing mixtures of atoxigenic strains that more closely reflect the complexity of natural A.
flavus communities. Furthermore, strain mixtures could be customized for various regions, crop
rotations, or soil types. The nature of the product may allow the cost of generating such mixtures
to be minor. However, the registration process may impede utilizing strain mixtures. Strategies
such as atoxigenic strain technology might be particularly limited by pesticide regulations because
a continually growing list of strains (reaching perhaps hundreds) may need approval. Instigation of
a low cost path to registration of additional strains (similar but not identical to those originally
registered) might make further development of atoxigenic strain technology faster and more
economically feasible, particularly for the public sector. This would facilitate development and
optimization of such technologies for multiple crops, locations, and environments.
Figure 1. Timeline for the registration of Aspergillus flavus AF36. The registration process
was undertaken by USDA-ARS with assistance from the IR-4 project. Input from the
National Cotton Council and other industry source was important throughout the process.
The registrant for the full registration is the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection
Council.
Figure 2. The quantity of aflatoxins in the cottonseed decreases as the percent of the A.
flavus on the crop that is AF36 increases. Individual points are values from replicate plots
either treated with AF36 in various ways or untreated controls. Values are for infected
seed. From P.J. Cotty, 1994, Phytopathology 84:1270-1277.
Figure 3. Facility for manufacturing atoxigenic strain material run by the Arizona Cotton Research
and Protection Council in Phoenix, Arizona. The process and facility were developed by a
partnership between ARS and ACRPC. Photographs: P.J. Cotty.
Figure 4. Proportion of A. flavus communities in soil composed of the biocontrol agent atoxigenic
strain AF36 prior to treatment (1996) and one year after treatment (1997). Entire commercial
cotton fields (approximately 40 acres each) were treated under an experimental use registration.
Data on the incidence of the highly toxigenic strain and on the overall quantity of A. flavus in the
soil is also included. Note that in treated fields, one year after treatment, incidence of the
atoxigenic strain is increased and incidence of the high aflatoxin-producing S strain is decreased
without increasing the overall quantity of Aspergillus flavus in the soil. Unpublished results, P.J.
Cotty.
References:
Jaime-Garcia, R., and Cotty, P.J. 2006. Spatial relationships of soil texture and crop
rotation to Aspergillus flavus community structure in south Texas. Phytopathology
96:599-607
Bock, C.H., Mackey, B. and Cotty, P.J. 2004. Population dynamics of Aspergillus flavus
in the air of an intensively cultivated region of Arizona. Plant Pathology 53: 422-433.
Ehrlich, K.C. and Cotty, P.J. 2004. An isolate of Aspergillus flavus used to reduce
aflatoxin contamination in cottonseed has a defective poyketide synthase gene. Applied
Microbiology and Biotechnology 65: 473-478.
Jaime-Garcia, R., and Cotty, P.J. 2003. Aflatoxin Contamination of Commercial
Cottonseed in South Texas. Phytopathology 93:1190-1200.
Boyd, M.L., and Cotty, P.J. 2001. Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination of
leguminous trees of the Sonoran desert in Arizona. Phytopathology 91:913-919.
Bock, C. H., and Cotty, P. J. 1999. Wheat seed colonized with atoxigenic Aspergillus
flavus: characterization and production of a biopesticide for aflatoxin control. Biocontrol
Science and Technology 9:529-543.
Cotty, P. J. 1997. Aflatoxin producing potential of communities of Aspergillus section
Flavi from cotton producing areas in the United States . Mycological Research 101:698-
704.
Garber, R. K., and Cotty, P. J. 1997. Formation of sclerotia and aflatoxins in developing
cotton bolls infected by the S strain of Aspergillus flavus and potential for biocontrol
with an atoxigenic strain. Phytopathology 87:940-945.0
Cotty, P. J. 1994. Influence of field application of an atoxigenic strain of Aspergillus
flavus on the populations of A. flavus infecting cotton bolls and on aflatoxin content of
cottonseed. Phytopathology 84:1270-1277.
Cotty, P. J. and Bhatnagar, D. 1994. Variability among atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus
strains in ability to prevent aflatoxin contamination and production of aflatoxin
biosynthetic pathway enzymes. Applied Environmental Microbiology 60:2248-2251.
Cotty, P. J. , P. Bayman, D. S. Egel , and K. S. Elias. 1994. Agriculture, Aflatoxins, and
Aspergillus. In: "The Genus Aspergillus: From Taxonomy and Genetics to Industrial
Applications" FEMS Symposium No. 69, K. A. Powell, A. Renwick, and J. F. Peberdy,
editors., Plenum Press. pp. 1-27.
Bayman, P., and Cotty, P. J. 1993. Genetic diversity in Aspergillus flavus: association
with aflatoxin production and morphology. Can. J. Bot. 71:23-34.
Cotty, P. J. , and Bayman, P. 1993. Competitive exclusion of a toxigenic strain of
Aspergillus flavus by an atoxigenic strain. Phytopathology 83:1283-1287.
Bayman, P., and Cotty, P. J. 1991. Vegetative compatibility and genetic diversity in the
Aspergillus flavus population of a single field. Can. J. Bot. 69:1707-1711.
Brown, R. L., Cotty, P. J., and Cleveland, T. E. 1991. Reduction in aflatoxin content of
maize by atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus. J. Food Protection 54:623-626.
Cotty, P. J. 1990. Effect of atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus on aflatoxin
contamination of developing cottonseed. Plant Disease 74:233-235.
References are available at: http://cals.arizona.edu/research/cottylab/CottyPub.htm

[Baraka Obam]

Are they just plain positive it isn't in the water, maybe they jumped over some hoops real fast, I got this in 1972 and now its a new disease, hmmmmmmmm, boy was I dreaming, hmmmm, must have just been a early case of DOP! Woopy I was the first itching crazy loon, Now I appoint myself king of the itching loons

[tcmgpt13]

A bit more about aspergillus flavus from Katinka, June 2009. In fact this thread has quite a bit of information about commonly encountered aspergillus molds for those who have not seen these posts and would like to know more:

Katinka from June 24, 2009

Originally Posted by Katinka

Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus | About Aspergillus flavus |

Aspergillus flavus is a fungus. It grows by producing thread like branching filaments known as hyphae. Filamentous fungi such as A. flavus are sometimes called molds. A network of hyphae known as the mycelium secretes enzymes that break down complex food sources. The resulting small molecules are absorbed by the myceilium to fuel additional fungal growth. The unaided eye cannot see individual hyphae, but dense mats of mycelium with conidia (asexual spores) often can be seen. The ear of maize below shows the growth of the fungus covering four maize kernels. When young, the conidia of A. flavus appear yellow green in color. As the fungus ages the spores turn a darker green.


In nature, A. flavus is capable of growing on many nutrient sources. It is predominately a saprophyte and grows on dead plant and animal tissue in the soil. For this reason it is very important in nutrient recycling.

Aspergillus flavus can also be pathogenic on several plant and animal species, including humans and domestic animals. The fungus can infect seeds of corn, peanuts, cotton, and nut trees.



The fungus can often be seen sporulating on injured seeds such a maize kernels as shown above. Often, only a few kernels will be visibly infected.
Growth of the fungus on a food source often leads to contamination with aflatoxin, a toxic and carcinogenic compound.

Aspergillus flavus is also the second leading cause of aspergillosis in humans. Patients infected with A. flavus often have reduced or compromised immune systems.
The epidemiology of Aspergillus flavus differs depending on the host species. The figure to the left shows the life cycle of the fungus on maize. Click on image to view larger. The fungus overwinters either as mycelium or as resistant structures known as sclerotia. The sclerotia either germinate to produce additional hyphae or they produce conidia (asexual spores), which can be dispersed in the soil and air. These spores are carried to the maize ears by insects or wind where they germinate and infect maize kernels.
Unlike most fungi, Aspergillus flavus is favored by hot dry conditions. The optimum temperature for growth is 37 C (98.6 F), but the fungus readily grows between the temperatures of 25-42 C (77-108 F), and will grow at temperatures from 12-48C (54-118 F). Such a high temperature optimum contributes to its pathogenicity on humans.






Aspergillus flavus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Aspergillus flavus is a fungus. It is a common mold in the environment, and can cause storage problems in stored grains. It can also be a human pathogen, associated with aspergillosis of the lungs and sometimes causing corneal, otomycotic, and nasoorbital infections. Many strains produce significant quantities of aflatoxin, a carcinogenic and acutely toxic compound. A. flavus spores are allergenic. A. flavus sometimes causes losses in silkworm hatcheries.


A. flavus is the second most common agent of aspergillosis, the first being Aspergillus fumigatus. A. flavus may invade arteries of the lung or brain and cause infarction. Neutropenia predisposes to aspergillus infection.
Aspergillus flavus also produces a toxin (aflatoxin) which is one of the aetiological agents for hepatocellular carcinoma.

A. flavus grows as a yellow-green mold in culture. Like other Aspergillus species it produces a distinctive conidiophore composed of a long stalk supporting an inflated vesicle. Conidiogenous cells on the vesicle produce the conidia.

Many strains of A. flavus exhibit a greenish fluorescence under UV light that is correlated with levels of aflatoxin production.

A. flavus is particularly common on corn and peanuts, as well as water damaged carpets, and is one of several species of mold known to produce aflatoxin which can cause acute hepatitis, immunosuppression, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The absence of any regulation of screening for the fungus in countries which also have a high prevalence of viral hepatitis highly increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.


Kat

EG from Mar. 14, 2010

Originally Posted by Enviro Girl

Aspergillus flavus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aspergillus flavus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Aspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus
Scientific classification

Kingdom: Fungi

Phylum: Ascomycota

Class: Eurotiomycetes

Order: Eurotiales

Family: Trichocomaceae

Genus: Aspergillus

Species: A. flavus
Binomial name

Aspergillus flavus
Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link, 1809

Aspergillus flavus is a fungus. It is a common mold in the environment, and can cause storage problems in stored grains. It can also be a human pathogen, associated with aspergillosis of the lungs and sometimes causing corneal, otomycotic, and nasoorbital infections. Many strains produce significant quantities of aflatoxin[1], a carcinogenic and acutely toxic compound. A. flavus spores are allergenic. A. flavus sometimes causes losses in silkworm hatcheries.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Disease in humans
• 2 Appearance in culture
• 3 Mold damage
• 4 References
• 5 External links

[edit] Disease in humans
A. flavus is the second most common agent of aspergillosis, the first being Aspergillus fumigatus. A. flavus may invade arteries of the lung or brain and cause infarction. Neutropenia predisposes to aspergillus infection.
Aspergillus flavus also produces a toxin (aflatoxin) which is one of the aetiological agents for hepatocellular carcinoma. [2]
[edit] Appearance in culture
A. flavus grows as a yellow-green mold in culture. Like other Aspergillus species it produces a distinctive conidiophore composed of a long stalk supporting an inflated vesicle. Conidiogenous cells on the vesicle produce the conidia. Many strains of A. flavus exhibit a greenish fluorescence under UV light that is correlated with levels of aflatoxin production.
[edit] Mold damage
A. flavus is particularly common on corn and peanuts, as well as water damaged carpets, and is one of several species of mold known to produce aflatoxin which can cause acute hepatitis, immunosuppression, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The absence of any regulation of screening for the fungus in countries which also have a high prevalence of viral hepatitis highly increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.
[edit] References
1. ^ Klich MA. (2007). Aspergillus flavus: the major producer of aflatoxin. Molecular Plant Pathology 8(6): 713-22.
2. ^ Crawford JM, Liver and Biliary Tract. Pathologic Basis of Disease, ed. Kumar V, et al. 2005, Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders. p. 924
[edit] External links
• Aspergillus flavus Genome Sequencing Project
• Aspergillus flavus research
This Ascomycota-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This plant disease article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from Aspergillus flavus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Categories: Aspergillus | Parasitic fungi | Ascomycota stubs | Plant disease stubs

This page was last modified on 4 July 2009 at 21:34.

[Enviro Girl]

BO - Heck yeah, I say in the water run-off, drainage ditches on down the lane, etc.,.

And if you're dealing w/any of these Uknowns that can infect living things along the way and replicate, not good...it can't be.

Wouldn't touch my tap water w/a 10 ft. pole (duh, let's dump some chlorine fix on that, after we take it out of the river that industry dumps millions of pounds of toxins in and there ya go, drink that = Toxic Soup = Treatment Galore, no?).

Plus if the usage of GM pesticides creates the need for more pesticides to be used, I'm really not trying to enjoy their new, unknown crop combo.

All needs banned. Seeking Critical Documents Updated 11/24 or 11/25/09.

Please/Thank you!,

[Enviro Girl]

Go check out the photos before they vanish - Very Creepy...

SEED BREEDING COVER PAGE (updated 02/02/10, posted 03/14/09)

Paul Ollerton, Co-Chairman
Bill Scott, Co-Chairman

The Council has provided technical, financial and logistical support for the Arizona Cotton Grower's Association Seed Breeding Program since it's inception in 2001. Mr. Paul "Paco" Ollerton and Mr. Bill Scott were elected Co-Chairman of Seed Breeding Program Committee. The Program strives to develop high-yielding high-fiber quality cotton seed varieties for Arizona that are heat tolerant. Fiber quality data is collected and plays an important role in selection for the following year.

[Enviro Girl]

AF36 AFLATOXIN COVER PAGE

(copied and posted 03/14/10)

ARIZONA AFLATOXIN AF36 PROGRAM

THE PROBLEM
* Aflatoxins are carcinogenic toxins/by-products produced by various strains of a common fungus (Aspergillus flavus). For over thirty
years, aflatoxins have cost Arizona’s cotton producers annual losses of over $5 million. Cottonseed containing over 20 parts per
billion of aflatoxin cannot be fed to dairy cows, and results in $20-$50 per acre loss in revenue. Pictured left: Raw wheat on the left and
after innoculation (sporulated) on the right.

* Several key U.S. trading partners strictly regulate aflatoxins. Crops with even very low aflatoxin contents may be at a severe
trading disadvantage.

* Aflatoxins also contaminate corn, peanuts and several tree crops including almonds, pistachios and figs.

THE OPPORTUNITY
* Pioneering research conducted by Dr. Peter Cotty, USDA ARS, identified certain native strains of Aspergillus flavus which do
not produce aflatoxin, occur naturally in the southwestern deserts but at very low levels.

* One of these atoxigenic (non-toxin producing) strains, Aspergillus flavus AF36, has been shown to competitively displace
aflatoxin-producing strains when applied to cotton fields. This displacement is associated with reduced aflatoxin levels in
Arizona cottonseed.

* Aspergillus flavus AF36 was evaluated in commercial fields in Yuma, Arizona, during the period of 1996-1998. The results
suggested a high potential for reducing the vulnerability of all crops grown in a treated region to aflatoxin contamination. This
provided the opportunity for an areawide aflatoxin management or suppression program.

* The Arizona Cotton Research & Protection Council (ACRPC) established a working partnership with USDA ARS and Dr. Cotty
to both manufacture AF36 and advance atoxigenic strain technology.

AF36 PRODUCT REGISTRATION
In June 1998, the ACRPC applied for both experimental use and Section 3 registration with EPA for AF36. Full Section 3 registration was granted by the EPA in November, 2007.

USDA ARS LICENSING
In August 1998, USDA ARS granted ACRPC a non-exclusive royalty-free license to utilize USDA atoxigenic strain patents to control aflatoxin in Arizona cotton.

MANUFACTURING FACILITY DEVELOPMENT
In September 1998, the ACRPC leased 15,000 square feet of building/warehouse space to house a prototype AF36 production facility plus associated labs and offices. Facility development has progressed to its current state which is capable of supplying commercial scale quantities of AF36 capable of treating more than 120,000 crop acres per season. This represents a multi-million dollar investment on the part of the Arizona cotton industry.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Since its inception in 1999, the USDA ARS / ACRPC partnership has led to the treatment and evaluation of AF36 applications on more than 120,000 cumulative acres of cotton in Arizona and Texas. This, in turn, has resulted in the progressive displacement and hence reduction of aflatoxin producing fungi by AF36 throughout treatment regions. Refinements continue in the production, distribution and utilization of atoxigenic strain technology with the ultimate goal of transfer of said technology to other grower organizations and commodity groups. This process is accelerated through coordinated basic and applied research involving the Arizona Cotton Research & Protection Council and USDA ARS.

THE FUTURE
The expansion of atoxigenic strain technology to a wide variety of agricultural commodities holds great potential for the future. Current cooperative research focusing on corn, pistachios and figs coupled with existing registrations for cotton in the West offers hope for a bio-control technology which may significantly enhance the agricultural export market for the United States while concurrently addressing critical issues of public health and safety.

CONCLUSION
The current research partnership between Dr. Peter Cotty, USDA ARS, and the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council represents a model for cooperative development of public sector technology which has multiple applications across agricultural commodity lines. Continued USDA ARS support of this mutually beneficial working relationship is strongly encouraged by cotton industry groups in both Arizona and Texas.

This page was modified January 03, 2008

[Katinka]

Originally Posted by Enviro Girl

Cottonseed containing over 20 parts per
billion of aflatoxin cannot be fed to dairy cows, and results in $20-$50 per acre loss in revenue.

How much do you guys want to bet, that the contaminated cottonseed was fed to the animals anyway?

Cottonseed is very toxic if not prepared properly and as our research revealed months ago it IS fed to animals esp. dairy cows thus leading to serious diseases. The toxicity remains hidden, meaning it shows no symptoms at all. By the time it's noticeable the milk/milk products have already reached our supermarket shelves.

btw..it's also in pet food!