LAUSR

BACKGROUND Aflatoxin-contaminated grain consumption over the years has been known to cause serious health hazards on its consumers. This study investigated the effects of harvest seasons and drying methods on aflatoxins in freshly harvested maize. A 2x3x3x3x3 factorial design was used; two harvesting seasons (dry and wet), maize varieties (P3966W, P4063W and P4226), moisture contents (0.15, 0.12, and 0.10 gkg-1 ), modern fabricated solar dryer (MFSD), Hybrid Biomass Dryer (HBD) and Open-Air Drying (OAD) methods and packaging materials (plastic, jute and polyethylene bag) were studied respectively. A total of one-hundred and sixty-two samples (n=162) of maize grains (250g each) were dried. The freshly harvested maize was shelled, dried, stored and analyzed for aflatoxins using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography method. Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. RESULTS P3966W and P4063W with initial moisture of (0.226 and 0.234 gkg-1 ) reached a safe level of 0.10 gkg-1 using MFSD within 2 -3 days, HBD, 2 - 3 days, and OAD 5days. While variety P4226 with initial moisture of 0.228 gkg-1 reached a safe moisture level of 0.10 gkg-1 in 2, 3, and 7days using MFSD, HBD, and OAD respectively. Aflatoxin concentration (56.00 ± 8.89 μgkg-1 ) was highest in P4063W at 0.15 gkg-1 moisture content which exceeded the maximum permissible limits of 4 μgkg-1 recommended by the World Health Organization. CONCLUSION Variety, type of dryer, and season affect aflatoxin contamination of maize. The adoption of MFSD drastically reduced the duration of drying and consequently controlled contamination by aflatoxins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.