TIMING OF HARVEST IN MAIZE - EFFECTS ON POST HARVEST LOSSES DUE TO INSECTS AND FUNGI IN CENTRAL BENIN, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO PROSTEPHANUS-TRUNCATUS (HORN) (COLEOPTERA, BOSTRICHIDAE)

A storage experiment was conducted in Bante, central Benin between aut umn 1994 and spring 1995. The maize was harvested 1, 3, and 7 weeks af ter physiological maturity and stored for up to eight months. The main results were: (a) Leaving the maize in the field for extended periods after physiological maturity resulted in severe grain losses after ei ght months of storage; (b) Most of the grain losses were attributed to Prostephanus truncatus; (c) Early harvested maize had a higher propor tion of mouldy grain; (d) Harvest date had no consistent effect on the level of aflatoxin contamination; (e) Based on a participatory evalua tion of maize quality by local farmers, the economic value of maize st ored for eight months was highest in maize harvested three weeks after physiological maturity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.