The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) in Pakistan is leading a project to help provide a biological control solution for combatting aflatoxin issues prevailing in red chilies grown in Sindh, Pakistan.

The work is being conducted in collaboration with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) with the support of USAID and the United States Department of Agriculture — Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS).

Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest producer of chilies. Accounting for around 4-5% of total global chili production, the country ranks sixth among red chili exporting countries and accounts for 7.2% of global exports.

In Pakistan, 85% of chili is produced in the Sindh province — the Dundicut red chillies of Kunri are world-famous. However, over a decade, the export of chilies from Pakistan declined from 3.58 thousand tons to 3.27 thousand tons due to noncompliance with international standards.

Strict international standards

In order to ensure quality food for consumers, value chain personnel must meet international food code standards. Aflatoxin and maximum residue limit (MRL) concentrations found in agri-based produce must be quantifiably below the permissible limits set by international standards. A sustainable approach to handle such issues without deteriorating the quality of produce is, therefore, required.

Aflatoxins are generally considered to be a postharvest problem, but the source/production of aflatoxin contamination are initiated at the farm level during the cropping cycle.

A high prevalence of aflatoxin contamination is mainly common in areas with a hot and humid climate, similar to those of Pakistan. Therefore, stringent measures are necessary to manage aflatoxin before harvesting to ensure food safety.

The CABI project team, in collaboration with the Crop Diseases Research Institute (CDRI) based at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, is conducting field trials to determine the efficacy of a fungal biocontrol product to manage aflatoxins in red chilies.

Fungal biocontrol product

This product called AflaPakTM contains an active ingredient (non-toxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolate) that is indigenous to the Pakistani ecosystem and applied through broadcasting on their chili crop prior to the flowering stage.

Chili crops are predominantly cultivated in Sindh Province. A chili variety called “Laungi,” which is also known as “Dandicut,” is native to the Kunri region in Sindh. It is famous worldwide due to its identifiable characteristics, such as aroma, color and pungency.

Unfortunately, from the past few decades, the cultivation of Laungi has lost the attention of farmers due to the prevalence of aflatoxins that are higher than permissible limits for international trade. This then results in the goods being rejected for export.

Hybrid varieties, however, are favored by chili growers due to relatively higher yields and resistance to bacterial diseases, but they are mainly deficient of the unique characteristics of Laungi. The project and its partners are working extensively for the revival of Laungi variety in Pakistan.

Promising results expected

It is anticipated that the biological control product will help to reduce aflatoxin contamination and provide promising results. Based on the availability red chilies meeting export requirements, there will be an increase in the demand for high-end international markets. 

Exporters will also be ready to pay good prices which will, ultimately, improve the livelihood of the communities by increasing their profit margins.

Since the biological control of aflatoxin on red chilies is an emerging subject in Pakistan, mass level awareness is, therefore, required to school the farming communities.

In this regard, awareness sessions will be conducted in major chili growing areas of Sindh. Farming communities will learn about the aflatoxins and its effects on human and animal health, trade barriers, good agriculture practices and the science behind the biological control technology.

Additional information

Project page

Find out more about CABI’s work on “regulatory harmonization in Pakistan for maximum residue limits and biopesticides” from the project page.

Authors

• Dr. Babar E. Bajwa — Project Executive
• Dr. Sabyan Faris Honey — Project Manager 

Contributors

• Dr. Hamzah Shahbaz Bhatti — Programme Officer
• Dr. Muzammil Farooq — Project Officer
• Saqib Ali — Communication Officer

For more information, please contact:

Jessica Mudjitaba Fernandez — USDA-FAS
[email protected]