Management of aflatoxins in maize during storage using plant products and diatomaceous earth

Aflatoxin levels increase during storage due to high humidity, temperature, and insect pests. The study determined the effectiveness of three levels of natural products in controlling aflatoxins at storage, done in 2023 at Kalro Njoro in Kenya. Maize grains were collected from Kilifi and weighed to 1 kg each and placed in polypropylene bags. Three levels of Moringa oleifera powder (10g/kg, 20g/kg and 30g/kg) from young moringa leaves, wood ash at (5g/kg, 7.5g/kg and 10g/kg) from Eucalyptus globulus from a dried log of wood from Eucalyptus globulus and diatomaceous earth (1g/kg, 2g/kg and 3g/kg) and a control (no treatment) were used. A completely randomized design replicated three times was used. Grains were stored for three and six months and total aflatoxin quantification was performed using ELISA. At six months aflatoxins levels had increased up to ten times from the three months storage. In the sixth month the total aflatoxins levels were 0.84 µg/kg for wood ash at 7.5 g/kg of maize with the lowest levels. The wood ash at all three levels reduced aflatoxins effectively. Additionally, for both diatomaceous earth and Moringa oleifera powder at low and medium levels were effective. These natural products should be used during storage because they reduce aflatoxins and not harmful to humans and animals.