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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305449
Title: Maize: Overview

Author
item Scott, Marvin
item EMERY, MARIANNE - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/2/2014
Publication Date: 2/12/2016
Citation: Scott M.P., Emery M. 2016. Maize: Overview. In: Wrigley, C., Corke, H., and Seetharaman, K., Faubion, J., editors. Encyclopedia of Food Grains. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Academic Press. p.99-104.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maize is an important cereal crop that is well-suited to industrial agriculture, both in grain production and in grain utilization. Starch, protein and oil are the three major components of the grain. Several processing methods yield many different food ingredients. In addition, whole grain is processed by nixamalization to produce a variety of food products. Maize is also an important model organism in genetic studies. Many discoveries made in maize have enabled improvement of other food crops. Maize breeding has increased yield by about 3 fold in the past century and has expanded the range of adaptation, so maize is produced in many areas where it was not previously. Biotechnology has been used to increase maize yields, allowing development of varieties that are resistant to insect pests.