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Proliferation of Aspergillus flavus in Artificially Infested Windrow-Dried Peanut Fruit in Virginia. D. Morris Porter, Plant Pathologist, Plant Science Research Division, and Agricultural Engineer, Agricultural Engineering Research Division, ARS, USDA, Holland, Virginia 23391, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; F. Scott Wright, Adjunct Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Physiology and Department of Agricultural Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Phytopathology 61:1194-1197. Accepted for publication 7 May 1971. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-61-1194.

Artificially infested fruit, field-dried in random windrows (fruit covered with foliage and not exposed to sunlight), yielded more isolates of Aspergillus flavus than fruit dried in inverted windrows (fruit resting on top of the foliage and exposed to direct sunlight). Windrow-dried, small (ca. 15 mm long), whole immature peanut fruits were invaded more often by A. flavus after artificial infestation than were pieces of shell and seed of larger (ca. 30 mm long) immature and mature fruit. The isolation frequency of A. flavus from artificially infested mature fruit was about that of untreated mature fruit. Isolates of A. flavus were obtained more readily from shell pieces and seed from infested fruit after a 4-day exposure period in either windrow than after a 12-day exposure period. Periods of adverse drying conditions enhanced aflatoxin production in seed of mature windrow-dried fruit.