Sources of Resistance to Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxin Contamination in Groundnut Genotypes in West Africa. F. WALIYAR, ICRISAT Sahelian Center, B.P. 12404 Niamey, Niger via Paris. A. BA, ISRA B.P. 53, Bambey, Senegal; H. HASSAN, INRAN B.P. 240, Maradi, Niger; S. BONKOUNGOU, INERA, 03 B.P. 7192, Burkina Faso; and J. P. BOSC, CIRAD-IRHO, 11 Square Petrarque, 75016 Paris, France. Plant Dis. 78:704-708. Accepted for publication 24 September 1993. Copyright 1994 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-78-0704.

Aflatoxin contamination is an important constraint to groundnut production in West Africa. During the 1989, 1990, and 1991 rainy seasons, we tested 25 lines, including germ plasm, advanced breeding lines, and cultivars, from West Africa, at Sadore, Bengou, and Maradi in Niger, at Kaolack in Senegal, and at Niangoloko in Burkina Faso. Average seed infection varied with site and year from 5 to 37%. Cultivars 55-437, Jll, and PI 337394 F were the least infected. Among the ICRISAT advanced breeding lines involving parents resistant to A. flavus, ICGV 87084, ICGV 87094, and ICGV 87110 were resistant. The results showed that some breeding lines possessed a good level of resistance to A. flavus, reflecting the presence of genes for resistance. A. flavus infection was significantly correlated with aflatoxin content, ranging from 1 to 450 ppb. Only one line, VAR 27, showed a high percentage of infection by A. flavus but a low level of aflatoxin, suggesting that this line may be resistant to aflatoxin production in West Africa. Among the ICRISAT breeding lines, ICGV 87110 had the lowest level of aflatoxin