About Corn

History

• Corn has a long history among humans. Researchers and anthropologists are unsure of when humans first began using corn. It is theorized that corn was first used as early as 3450 BC. Corn became a foundational food for Mesoamerican societies. By the 1200s, corn had spread from South and Central America to the rest of North America. In the 1700s, the indigenous people of the American continent gave corn to European settlers. The grain quickly spread spread to the rest of the world.

Significance

• Corn has held considerable significance for various civilizations around the world. Entire societies were formed around corn as their main food source. Corn's significance to human populations has continued to grow in modern times, both as an economic product and as a food product. Corn is North America's most widely-grown grain. For example, the U.S. grows over 270 million tons of of corn every year. Corn is used substantially in animal feed, especially for farm animals (e.g. cattle and poultry feed). Corn is also a significant ingredient in various human food and technological innovations (such as biofuel).

Types

• There are various types of corn (i.e. maize). New corn hybrids are released for use every year. Currently, there are over 50,000 corn genes cataloged by the United States National Science Foundation. Food corn, the type of maize most often encountered by consumers, can be divided into major types separated by their food use. For example, there is flour corn, popcorn, sweet corn (the result of a genetic mutation that results in a corn kernel with an excessively high sugar content) and pod corn. Feed corn used for animals are similar to corn intended for human use, but is generally lower in quality.

Function

• There are four main functions for corn in modern, Western society. The most common function for corn is as food, whether for humans or as animal fodder. Corn is also used as a basic ingredient in chemical and medicinal technologies. For example, corn-derived starch is used in the manufacturing of plastics. Third, corn is used as a biofuel ingredient in products such as ethanol (a fossil fuel alternative). Finally, corn can be used for ornamental purposes. Several varieties of corn were developed and grown for their bright kernel colors.

Considerations

• Gardeners interested in growing corn need to consider the plant's specific needs. Corn needs full sun and a soil pH of 6.4. The soil also needs to be amended with fertilizers due to corn's excessively-high nutrient requirements to grow. Corn can either be planted from seeds sown 1 inch deep, or started from nursery plants. Corn needs to be watered a minimum of once a week. The corn stalk will then sprout corn which can generally be harvested 20 days after the corn silks appear.