Distribution and Risk Assessment of Aspergillus flavus Infection in Major Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Growing Regions of India

Groundnut (Peanut; Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil seed, food and cash crop in India. Although India is the largest exporter of groundnuts, its share in the niche markets like the European Union is very small due to stringent regulations on aflatoxins. The crop is susceptible to pre- and post-harvest aflatoxin contamination caused by Aspergillus flavus group of fungi. It is imperative to know the prevalence, distribution of A. flavus fungi and mapping the risk areas. We have undertaken an extensive survey to assess A. flavus infection in groundnut during pre- and post-harvest stages. Groundnut pod samples were collected from 11 major groundnut-producing states in India such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, and Odisha during both rainy and postrainy seasons over three consecutive years (2022–2024). The districts in each state were categorized into four risk levels: safe, acceptable, moderate, and high-risk areas for A. flavus infection based on the percentage of kernel infection. The incidence of A. flavus kernel infection varied across regions, ranging from 6.25 % to 37.25 %. Among the 37 districts surveyed across 11 states, the highest kernel infection was recorded in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra (37.50 %), followed by Junagadh district, Gujarat (35.00 %). Out of the 37 districts, nine districts were classified as safe or having minimal A. flavus infection, while 18 districts were under the acceptable range. A few districts exhibited moderate A. flavus infection levels in the field. Our findings indicate that although A. flavus is a saprophytic, soil-borne pathogen, its infection levels vary across regions, likely due to differences in farming practices, environmental conditions, soil microbiota, and host susceptibility. The identification of high-risk areas for A. flavus infection is crucial for developing and deploying region-specific management strategies.