Types of Corn Seed

Sweet Corn

• There are several varieties of sweet corn seed. The most common three types are normal sweet corn, sugar-enhanced and super-sweet. Sweet corn must be grown in well-fertilized and moisture-rich soil. Sweet corn is often grown as a winter crop in the southern United States. Sweet corn varieties are most often used in canned corn and sold in grocery stores as "corn on the cob." Approximately 650,000 acres of corn are grown in the United States each year.

Dent Corn

• Dent corn gets its name from the depression that develops at the crown of the kernels. It is a hybrid mix of flint corn and gourseed, a variety of corn that was grown by Native Americans in the southeastern United States. Dent corn is one of the most commercially produced corn crops in the United States and is often used in making livestock feed. Hogs are often fed whole ears of corn. Roughly 60 million acres of feed corn are grown in the Unites States each year. Dent corn is primarily grown in the corn belt states, Illinois, Iowa and other Midwestern states.

Flint Corn

• Flint corn kernels are hard and smooth. Although flint is produced in the United States, more production of flint corn takes place in South America, Asia, Central America and Europe. Flint corn matures earlier than other seed corn types. The kernels on an ear of flint corn are often multicolored. Flint corn is used to make hominy, popcorn and corn chips.

Unusual Varieties

• There are some unique varieties of corn including baby corn and blue corn. Baby corn is often used in salads pickled or canned and is grown in the Pacific Northwest. Blue corn is unique to the American Southwest. It has a lower yield rate than other varieties of corn often yielding 1,000 to 4,000 pounds per acre. Blue corn is often ground into various flours and meals and is used in making such products as flour tortillas.