VIEW ARTICLE

Disease Control and Pest Management

Harvesting Method Effects on Aflatoxin Levels in Arizona Cottonseed. T. E. Russell, Associate research scientist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721; P. von Bretzel(2), and J. Easley(3). (2)(3)Research associate, and research assistant, respectively, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721. Phytopathology 71:359-362. Accepted for publication 19 September 1980. Copyright 1981 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-71-359.

During 1976, 1977, and 1978 season in Arizona, a comparison was made between the aflatoxin levels found in seed from first-picked cotton harvested by conventional spindle pickers and aflatoxin levels detected in seed from second- or third-picked cotton harvested by ground-gleaning equipment. Samples from both gins and cotton trailers in the field were analyzed. Levels of total aflatoxins were consistently higher (2–279×) in ground-gleaned seed than in first-picked, spindle-harvested seed in all collections made during the 3-yr study.