Comparison of the profiles of seedborne fungi and the occurrence of aflatoxins in mould-damaged beans and soybeans.

The average percentage of fungal infection in twenty bean and soybean lots was determined by visual inspection (24.5 and 16.8%, respectively), and by laboratory isolation (58.5 and 33.7%), respectively. The mycoflora were more diverse in bean than soybean. Bean was more susceptible to fungal infection than soybean under similar environmental and cultural conditions. The most frequently isolated fungal genera for bean and soybean were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Eurotium and Curvularia. Aflatoxins were not detected in the non-infected beans and soybeans, but aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) were detected in the infected beans but not in the infected soybeans. The absence of aflatoxin in the fungal infected soybeans is discussed.