Aflatoxin contamination of cottonseed: comparison of pink bollworm damaged and undamaged bolls

Ajlatoxin contamination of cottonseedfrom bolls damaged by the pink bollworm (PB W) ,Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) , was comparedwith contamination ofcottonseedfrom undamaged bolls. Test bolls for comparative studies were collectedfrom similar positions on 25 plants in each ofthree harvests during a single season. Cottonseedproduced in PBW-damaged bolls were the predominant source ofajlatoxin contaminated cottonseed. It was found that 52,68, and 54% of PBW damaged locks contained ajlatoxin in the three harvests; average contamination levels ranged from 8900 to 16800 J1g/kg of ajlatoxin in the cottonseed. Seed from undamaged locks, adjacent to PBW-damaged locks, were contaminated in 8, 16 and8% ofbolls with PB W exit holes; average contamination levels ranged from 2 to 1300 J1g/kg. Only 8% ofnon-damaged bolls produced contaminated seed in two harvests and this seed contained very low average levels ofajlatoxin (5 J1g/kg or less). No contaminated seed wasfound in non-damaged bolls in the third harvest.