Seed-Borne Mycoflora of Stored Groundnut and Its Control Using Botanical Seed Treatments

Abstract

Groundnut kernels are rich in oil and protein, and that richness makes them an attractive substrate for fungi from the field to the store. Seed-borne moulds reduce germination and vigour, spoil the crop, and in the case of Aspergillus flavus and its relatives can leave aflatoxins in food and feed. Plant extracts and essential oils are often proposed as inexpensive, locally available seed treatments that could replace or reduce synthetic fungicides. This narrative review asks what the published literature supports about the seed-borne and storage mycoflora of groundnut, the conditions that drive its growth, and the botanical treatments proposed to control it, and it reports no new data. Laboratory studies show that many extracts and oils inhibit fungal growth on agar or in sealed vessels. Far fewer tests have been made on kernels held under realistic storage conditions, and moisture, damage and temperature appear to dominate outcomes whatever is applied. Further concerns include the lack of standardised extracts, uncertain effects on toxin formation at sub-lethal doses, and the safety of residues on food crops. The review concludes that botanical treatments are plausible adjuncts to good drying and storage and not substitutes for them, and it sets out what a convincing storage trial would need to report.