Prevention of pre-harvest aflatoxin production and the effect of different harvest times on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) fatty acids.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between aflatoxin and fatty acids and to determine the optimum harvest time to avoid pre-harvest aflatoxin formation. It was established that harvest time had statistically significant effects on the levels of saturated fatty acids: myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), stearic acid (C18:0), arachidic acid (C20:0), behenic acid (C22:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), monounsaturated fatty acids; palmitoleic acid (C16:1), heptadecenoic acid (C17:1), oleic acid (C18:1) and gadoleic acid (C20:1); and on polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3). By delaying the harvest time, the ratio of saturated fatty acids decreased and unsaturated fatty acids increased. It was shown that the longer harvesting was delayed, the greater the quantity of oleic acid that was produced. Before harvest time, if the soil moisture was 5% or higher, aflatoxin was produced by fungi. It was found that the weather conditions of the region were suitable for aflatoxin production. Soil moisture appears to be more important than soil temperature for aflatoxin formation. The production of aflatoxin was not observed in the first and second harvests, both of which are at early harvest times. It was found that aflatoxin B1 during harvest time was the most significant of the four toxins. The third harvest time, which is the most widely used, was observed to have significant problems due to aflatoxin formation. Therefore, it is suggested as a result of this study that the harvest of peanuts must be done considering seed yield before the middle of September to avoid aflatoxin formation at harvest time.