Maize production faces dual challenges of food safety and productivity due to Aspergillus flavus contamination and aflatoxin production, and these risks intensify under abiotic stress conditions. Despite the growing understanding of these threats, the interactive effects of basic agronomic practices on fungal contamination remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated how irrigation and nitrogen fertilization influence maize physiology, A. flavus proliferation, and mycotoxin accumulation. Field experiments employed a complete randomized design with factorial arrangements of irrigation (non-irrigated/irrigated) and nitrogen levels (60, 120, and 180 kg/ha) under Aspergillus flavus-inoculated and non-inoculated conditions. Measurements included kernel number, mold count, mycotoxins (AFB1, FB1, DON, ZEA), and nutritional parameters. Irrigation improved the kernel performance of inoculated plants. The inoculated-non-irrigated group had significantly poorer kernel production (19.09 ± 0.58) compared to the control-non-irrigated, control-irrigated and inoculated-irrigated groups (21.17 ± 0.48, 21.33 ± 0.46 and 21.11 ± 0.60, respectively). Notably, increasing nitrogen from 60 to 180 kg/ha reduced AFB1 levels in inoculated maize from 164.25 ± 74.25 µg/kg to 114.94 ± 80.80 µg/kg while maintaining stable nutritional parameters across treatments. Nitrogen fertilization demonstrates protective effects against fungal proliferation and AFB1 accumulation under biotic stress, highlighting how optimized agronomic practices can enhance maize's resilience to mycotoxin contamination in changing climate conditions.

Acknowledgement

Project No. TKP2021-NKTA-32 has been implemented with support provided by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, financed under the TKP2021-NKTA funding scheme. This research is funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary project No. 2018-1.2.1-NKP-2018-00002.