Survival of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium moniliforme in High-Moisture Corn Stored Under Modified Atmospheres

Freshly harvested high-moisture corn with 29.4% moisture and corn remoistened to 19.6% moisture were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fr. and stored for 4 weeks at about 27 C in air (0.03% CO2, 21% O2, and 78% N2) and three modified atmospheres: (i) 99.7% N2 and 0.3% O2; (ii) 61.7% CO2, 8.7% O2, and 29.6% N2; and (iii) 13.5% CO2, 0.5% O2, and 84.8% N2. Kernel infections by A. flavus, Fusarium moniliforme (Sheld.) Snyd. et Hans., and other fungi were monitored weekly. The modified-atmosphere treatments delayed deterioration by A. flavus and F. moniliforme, but their growth was not completely stopped. A. flavus survived better in the remoistened than in the freshly harvested corn. F. moniliforme survived in both. A. flavus and F. moniliforme were the dominant fungi in corn removed from the modified atmospheres and exposed to normal air for 1 week.