Traditional maize populations widely grown in southern Benin were evaluated in that zone for agronomic traits in order to improve them if necessary. A randomized complete block design with four repetitions was used. Significant differences among populations were observed for earliness, plant and ear heights, number of ears per plant and number of grains per ear. One population (PTMB4) was susceptible to rust. All populations except one (PTMB8) showed good husk cover. The populations gave relatively low grain yields (less than 4 t/ha) and were not significantly different for that trait. All the populations should be improved for grain yield. In addition, the populations PTMB4 and PTMB8 must be improved respectively for rust resistance and husk cover.Keywords: Agronomic traits, southern Benin, traditional varieties, Zea mays.