THE EFFECT OF POSTHARVEST FUNGICIDE APPLICATION ON STORAGE FUNGI OF CORN DURING AMBIENT AIR DRYING AND STORAGE

Corn grain was treated immediately after harvest with the fungicides b enomyl (0, 1, 5, and 10 mug/g), thiabendazole (0, 5, 10, and 20 mug/g) , and A9248 (0, 5, 10, and 20 mug/g) in 1984, and with thiabendazole ( 0, 10, and 20 mug/g) and A9248 (0, 5, 10, and 20 mug/g) in 1985 to det ermine the effect of the fungicides on infection by storage fungi duri ng ambient air drying and storage. After treatment, the grain was augu red into modified grain bins and dried with ambient air. The incidence of storage fungi was determined following plating of kernels on malt salt agar. Fungicide treatments reduced the incidence of Penicillium s pecies, and in some cases Aspergillus species, when compared to the no ntreated control. The use of low rates of fungicides offers an additio nal control of storage fungi that can be integrated into currently use d control techniques.