Rebecca Earle, The Body of the Conquistador: Food, Race, and the Colonial Experience in Spanish America, 1492–1700. New York: Cambridge University Press 2012, pp. 17, 151. Researchers sequence genome of maize, a key crop". Reuters. February 26, 2008 . Retrieved October 6, 2014. Birchler, James A.; Han, Fangpu (December 1, 2009). "Maize Centromeres: Structure, Function, Epigenetics". Annual Review of Genetics. 43 (1): 287–303. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-102108-134834. PMID 19689211. maíz". Diccionario de la lengua española - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish) . Retrieved January 14, 2023.

Since the 1940s, the best strains of maize have been first-generation hybrids made from inbred strains that have been optimized for specific traits, such as yield, nutrition, drought, pest and disease tolerance. Both conventional cross-breeding and genetic engineering have succeeded in increasing output and reducing the need for cropland, pesticides, water and fertilizer. [94] There is conflicting evidence to support the hypothesis that maize yield potential has increased over the past few decades. This suggests that changes in yield potential are associated with leaf angle, lodging resistance, tolerance of high plant density, disease/pest tolerance, and other agronomic traits rather than increase of yield potential per individual plant. [95]mealie, n.". Oxford English Dictionary (Onlineed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.) Maize is an annual grass in the family Gramineae, which includes such plants as wheat, rye, barley, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane. There are two major species of the genus Zea (out of six total): Z. mays (maize) and Z. diploperennis, which is a perennial type of teosinte. The annual teosinte variety called Z. m. mexicana is the closest botanical relative to maize. It still grows in the wild as an annual in Mexico and Guatemala. [80] Byerlee, Derek. "The globalization of hybrid maize, 1921–70." Journal of Global History 15.1 (2020): 101–122.

Mann, Charles C. (July 2011). "Cotton (or Anchovies) and Maize". 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus (2nded.). New York: Vintage Books. pp. 225–229. ISBN 978-1-4000-3205-1. While yellow maizes derive their color from lutein and zeaxanthin, in red-colored maizes, the kernel coloration is due to anthocyanins and phlobaphenes. These latter substances are synthesized in the flavonoids synthetic pathway [69] from polymerization of flavan-4-ols [70] by the expression of maize pericarp color1 (p1) gene [71] which encodes an R2R3 myb-like transcriptional activator [72] of the A1 gene encoding for the dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (reducing dihydroflavonols into flavan-4-ols) [73] while another gene (Suppressor of Pericarp Pigmentation 1 or SPP1) acts as a suppressor. [74] The p1 gene encodes an Myb-homologous transcriptional activator of genes required for biosynthesis of red phlobaphene pigments, while the P1-wr allele specifies colorless kernel pericarp and red cobs, and unstable factor for orange1 (Ufo1) modifies P1-wr expression to confer pigmentation in kernel pericarp, as well as vegetative tissues, which normally do not accumulate significant amounts of phlobaphene pigments. [71] The maize P gene encodes a Myb homolog that recognizes the sequence CCT/AACC, in sharp contrast with the C/TAACGG bound by vertebrate Myb proteins. [75] Additionally, feed corn is sometimes used by hunters to bait animals such as deer or wild hogs. [ citation needed] United States usage breakdownIn the United States, [39] Canada, [41] Australia, and New Zealand, corn primarily means maize. This usage started as a shortening of "Indian corn" in 18th century North America. [39] [42] During European colonization of North America, confusion would occur between British and North American English speakers using the term corn so that North American speakers would need to clarify that they were talking about Indian corn or maize, such as in a conversation between the Massachusetts Bay governor Thomas Hutchinson and the British king George III. [42] "Indian corn" primarily means maize (the staple grain of indigenous Americans) but can also refer more specifically to multicolored " flint corn" used for decoration. [43] Other common names include barajovar, makka, silk maize, and zea. [44] ISAAA Biotech Maize Update 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2013 . Retrieved October 6, 2014. Oldenburg, Marcus; Petersen, Arnd; Baur, Xaver (2011). "Maize pollen is an important allergen in occupationally exposed workers". Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. 6 (1): 32. doi: 10.1186/1745-6673-6-32. PMC 3269392. PMID 22165847. For storing grain in bins, the moisture of the grain must be sufficiently low to avoid spoiling. If the moisture content of the harvested grain is too high, grain dryers are used to reduce the moisture content by blowing heated air through the grain. This can require large amounts of energy in the form of combustible gases ( propane or natural gas) and electricity to power the blowers. [128] Production Production of maize (2019) [129] Corn may contain a fair amount of several vitamins and minerals. Notably, the amount is highly variable depending on the corn type.