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Corn (maize). Legends, myths, symbolism, description, cultivation, methods of application

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Content

1. Photos, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
2. Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism
3. Botanical description, reference data, useful information, illustrations
4. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology
5. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Corn (maize), Zea mays. Photos of the plant, basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Basic scientific information, legends, myths, symbolism

Sort by: Zea

Family: Cereals (Poaceae)

Origin: Mexico

Area: Corn is grown in many countries of the world, especially widespread in North and South America, Africa and Asia.

Chemical composition: Corn contains carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch), proteins, fats, fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc.), antioxidants.

Economic value: Corn is one of the most important grain crops in the world and is used in the food, feed, technical and energy industries. Corn is used to produce flour, starch, sugar, syrup, oil, animal feed, and biofuels. Corn cobs are used as animal feed and also for the production of silage. The leaves and stalks of corn are used to make teas and tinctures, as well as animal feed.

Legends, myths, symbolism: In Mexican mythology, corn played an important role. According to legend, the first people were created from corn grains, and the corn goddess Zinteotl was considered the patroness of the harvest. Also in Mayan myths, corn was associated with the deity of life and fertility. In some cultures, corn symbolizes the wealth, abundance and fertility of the land, as well as strength and courage. In the culture of the Indians of North America, corn was also considered a symbol of community and unity, as it was one of the staple foods for many tribes. Also, corn can be associated with spiritual growth and development, as it goes through several stages of development and then produces a bountiful harvest. This process can be interpreted as a symbolic path of a person to spiritual enlightenment.

Corn (maize), Zea mays. Description, illustrations of the plant

Corn, Zea mays. Methods of application, origin of the plant, range, botanical description, cultivation

Corn (maize) is the most important cereal crop in the world after wheat and rice. In the tropics and subtropics, it is cultivated mainly for the production of food grains, from the flour and cereals of which a variety of food products are prepared, including original national dishes. It contains 60 to 68% carbohydrates, 7 to 20% protein, 4-8% fat and 1,5-2% minerals.

The most valuable protein, containing the most important amino acids - lysine and tryptophan, is located in the germ, where most of the fat (up to 80%) and vitamins are also concentrated. This is taken into account when creating new varieties and hybrids, which involves the selection of seeds with a large embryo.

A large amount of corn grain is processed into starch, alcohol, beer, glucose, sugar, oil, vitamins and many other types of products that serve as raw materials for various industries. Paper, viscose, linoleum, plastic, activated carbon are also obtained from corn, processing dry stems, leaves, rods and wrappers of cobs.

Feed direction is one of the most important in the corn industry. Grain, products of its cleaning and processing, green mass in fresh, dry and ensiled form are used for fodder.

Of the total production of corn grain (405,5 million tons), America accounts for 45,7%, despite the fact that only 1/3 of all corn areas are concentrated in the New World, occupying 126,6 million hectares. More than 2/3 of American grain is produced by the USA, which receives the highest grain harvest in the world - 5,3-7,5 t/ha. In the American tropics, corn is most common in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. It is also one of the main crops in Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras. In most of these countries, the grain yield is low - 1,2-2 t/ha.

In Asia, corn occupies 38,6 million hectares, which, with an average yield of 2,8 tons / ha, provides an annual production of 107,2 million tons, or 26,4% of the world harvest. Here, the main grain production is concentrated in China (63,8%), where the yield is 3,0-3,9 t/ha. In the countries of the tropical zone, corn is cultivated mainly in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, and the Philippines.

In Africa, it is also very widespread, occupying almost 16% of the world's area. It is cultivated in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Egypt, Angola, Zaire, Zambia and a number of other countries. Unfortunately, the average yield on the continent is low - only 1,5 t/ha, as a result, its production does not exceed 7,4% (30,3 million tons) of the world. This is more than twice as low as in Europe, which receives high grain yields (4,7-6,2 t/ha) from a much smaller area - 9,2% of world crops.

Corn originates from Mexico, where its wild ancestors existed as early as 80 years ago. The most ancient finds of cultivated corn date back to 3400-2300 BC. BC e. By the arrival of the Spaniards in Mexico, corn culture had reached a high level. It was cultivated by various Indian tribes. The northern Mayan tribe had a cult of the god of corn Chinteotl.

Corn was of great importance in the life of the Incas who lived in Peru. Large-seeded, early ripening and cold-resistant forms found on the site of the Inca empire testify to long-term selection and high culture of agriculture. To this day, information has come down to rituals associated with corn, which were held in the temple of the Sun in the Inca capital of Cusco.

Corn came to other continents in the XNUMXth century, after the discovery of America by Europeans. By this time, all subspecies of the only cultivated corn species, Zea mays L., already existed in the New World.

This is an annual, herbaceous, slightly bushy species with deep, powerful, highly developed roots. A rather thick stem has a height of 1 to 6 m. In tall plants, aerial (supporting) roots are formed from the lower nodes, some of them take root. The number of leaves is different - from 8 to 20 or more, they are linear, large, pubescent on top, with sheaths closely fitting the stems. The plant produces 2 types of inflorescences. Apical male inflorescences - panicles up to 40 cm long - have 2 rows of spikelets with 1-2 flowers each on a branch.

Female inflorescences are formed in the axils of the leaves of the lower parts of the stem. They are modified lateral shoots with an upper part that has grown into an ear and a lower part with modified leaves that have taken the form of wrappers. The cob consists of a thick stem, on which spikelets with 2 flowers are arranged in pairs in vertical rows. The lower flower is undeveloped, while the upper one has 2 scales and a pistil with a large ovary and a long filiform column with a stigma at the end. During flowering, the tops of the columns hang out of the wrappers ("silk"), the stigmas secrete a sticky liquid, on which they trap pollen. Cross-pollination by wind. Within the same plant, male flowers are 3-8 days ahead of female flowers.

The fruit of corn is a caryopsis of various colors and sizes. The mass of 1000 grains is from 100 to 400 g. The endosperm of the caryopsis is of 2 types: very hard horn-shaped and loose, mealy. This feature underlies the division of corn into subspecies, the characteristics of which are given below.

Popping corn (small seeds) - everta Sturt. (syn. microsperma Korn) is the first cultivated form of maize known in the wild. Currently rarely cultivated, mainly in the United States and Mexico. The primitiveness of the form is evidenced by high tillering and multicobs. Cobs are small, with small grains of different colors and rounded or pointed tops. The endosperm is hard, almost completely horn-shaped, only in the center of the caryopsis there is a thin mealy layer. When heated, it breaks through the shell and breaks out in the form of a loose mealy mass. The preparation of flakes and pop corn is based on this feature.

Tooth corn - indentata Sturt. (syn. dentiformis Korn) - is a Mexican race of the pre-Columbian era. Cultivated in many countries, but mainly in the US Corn Belt and Northern Mexico, where it occupies more than 70% of the cultivated area. Its varieties and hybrids are among the most valuable. Plants are tall, non-bushing, with one, rarely 2 large cobs, late and mid-season, high-yielding. The grains are often white or yellow, large, elongated-prismatic in shape with a depressed top, which makes them look like a molar. The endosperm on the lateral sides of the caryopses is horn-shaped, and mealy in the center and at the apex.

Silicon corn - indurata Sturt. (syn. vulgaris Korn) - the northernmost Mexican race, cultivated by Indians in the territory of modern USA about 500 years ago. At present, it occupies up to 14% of corn crops there, while on other continents it is cultivated very widely. The subspecies is distinguished by good initial growth, early maturity, cold resistance, grain resistance to insect damage. Plants are relatively low, with 1-2 cobs per stem (no tillering). Compared to dent corn, the grains are somewhat smaller, more rounded and varied in color, and have a better quality of protein and starch. The endosperm is almost completely horn-shaped and only in the central part is mealy.

Starchy corn - amilacea (Sturt.) Montang - was cultivated in the 12th-1th centuries. Incas who lived in Peru. It is cultivated in the US Corn Belt (approximately 3% of the total area under crop), South America and limitedly in the dry tropics of Africa and Asia. Plants are low, form from 80 to XNUMX single-cob shoots. The cobs and grains are often large, the color of the grains is different, the shape is squeezed, with a rounded top. The endosperm is exceptionally powdery and soft. The grain contains more than XNUMX% starch, due to which it is especially valued in the starch and syrup industry.

Sweet corn - saccharata Sturt. - known in culture quite recently, since the end of the XNUMXth century, however, it is assumed that this is a rather ancient race from South America, where grain is used to make beer and chicha (an alcoholic drink). It is currently cultivated in small areas in the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Europe as a vegetable plant and canning product. This use is based on the high quality of protein and high sugar content in unripe grains. Relatively low plants of modern varieties are multi-stemmed, form rather large cobs with angular, shriveled grains when mature. Endosperm horny, very hard.

Corn has a different growing season - from 70 to 200 days, respectively, and environmental requirements vary greatly. In the tropics, it is grown both in valleys or on low plains, and in mountainous regions up to a height of 2000-3300 m. the first phases of growth - even short-term frosts.

For a satisfactory harvest, they need 1800-2000 ° heat, a good one - 2100-2300 °, that is, an average daily temperature of 19-21 ° C is required. Medium- and especially late-ripening corn varieties of flat relief require much more heat supply. For them, the sum of active temperatures should reach 2400-3000°C, which is ensured by an average daily temperature of 25-30°C. Heat requirements generally increase during flowering, seed formation, and caryopsis formation. However, a very high temperature (more than 40-45 ° C) during this period is a negative phenomenon. It is accompanied by great dryness of the air, in which the pollen dies and a grain is observed in the cobs.

By the way, constant rains at this time can give a similar result, as wet pollen loses its volatility. On the other hand, by the flowering period, the soil should have a water reserve of at least 160 mm at a depth of 1 m. It has been proven that if during the period of intensive growth (from the beginning of stemming to flowering) the plants experience a moisture deficit, then the loss of grain yield can reach 50 % and more. But in the early period, from the formation of secondary roots (3-4 leaves) to the start of intensive stem growth, corn tolerates a lack of moisture and even drought well - a yield loss of only 6-7%.

When the grain is forming and filling, the need for water is somewhat lower than during the period of strong growth, but also significant, with a gradual weakening towards the phase of milky ripeness. In the tropics, the best moisture supply for corn is achieved in areas where the annual precipitation is 600-900 mm, but the main thing is that during the growing season their amount should not be less than 200 mm.

Of decisive importance for obtaining high yields of corn is the optimal combination of factors - water - heat - bright sunlight. The latter is especially important to consider in the tropics, where its combined crops with beans, peanuts, soybeans, dolichos, cowpea, sweet potato, African millet, sorghum and other field crops are widespread. Local cultivars of corn are typical short-day plants, and many bred and introduced varieties react poorly to changes in the duration of sunlight.

Soil requirements and crop rotation features. There are very different soils for corn: from heavy to light, from poor to rich, from acidic (pH 5) to alkaline (pH 8). However, the highest yields are obtained on light or medium loamy soils, well-drained and loose, rich in organic matter and available nutrients, with a neutral reaction of the soil solution. It suffers greatly on heavy, swampy, saline and highly acidic soils.

Corn is particularly demanding on the effective fertility of the soil, that is, acquired as a result of processing, fertilizers and other methods of cultivation. Therefore, in West Africa, it is usually not cultivated on newly developed lands (cleared from forests, fallows, fallows), where it lacks nitrogen and other nutrients, but is sown after yams, peanuts, cotton, cassava. With the intensification of agriculture in this region, green manure pairs with legumes (green fertilizers) are introduced instead of fallow.

In the arid zone (precipitation total 350-500 mm) on poor low-structural soils with a neutral reaction, corn is the second crop after fallow in the crop rotation: green manure fallow - corn - peanut - sorghum. In a zone of sufficient moisture on coastal swampy soils, it is allowed in crop rotation after rain-fed rice: green manure fallow - rice - rice - corn - rice.

In India, corn is grown on alkaline soils when irrigated after wheat, barley, potatoes, and also alternated with cotton or sugar cane as a rainfed crop. In Cuba, during the rainy season, it is planted on light soils after the traditional dry season crops - tobacco, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, and irrigated corn is sown on heavy soils after taro. In the tropics, repeated cultivation of corn in one field is practiced to obtain 2 crops per year, in this case, early-ripening varieties and irrigation of one of the crops are used.

Long-term permanent cultivation worsens the physical properties of the soil, reduces the supply of water and nutrients, increases the risk of erosion, clogging of crops and damage to plants by diseases and pests. True, 10 years of experience at the Scientific Research Institute of Agronomy in Bari (Italy) showed that all this can be avoided under conditions of intensification of agriculture, using increasing doses of mineral fertilizers, especially increasing the dose of nitrogen, embedding crop residues simultaneously with nitrogen and a drug that promotes them. decomposition, irrigating corn and protecting it from pathogens.

By introducing new hybrids, taking into account the climatic conditions of the zone, the institute achieved an increase in grain yield by 66%, bringing it to 10 t/ha. The role of hybrids in increasing the world production of corn is very large. The phenomenon of heterosis (the property of hybrids of the first generation to exceed the viability, fertility and other characteristics of the best of the parents), which is the basis for their production, can significantly increase the productivity of a sown hectare. In the developing countries of the tropics and subtropics, hybrids are not yet very popular, mainly because of the high cost.

The main directions of selection in obtaining hybrids are as follows: high yield, increased content of fat and essential amino acids - lysine and tryptophan in the grain, short stature, precocity, ecological adaptability to natural and climatic zones. However, the level of productivity of hybrids is determined not only by their potential, but also by the level of agricultural technology. Unfortunately, in many countries of the tropics, primitive methods are used; there is no mechanization, fertilizers, chemicals, or irrigation. For example, in West Africa, farmers work the soil for corn in the traditional way, that is, manually with a hoe.

At the beginning of the wet season or a little earlier, the soil is loosened to a depth of 4-6 cm. If the soil is poor or very wet, then ridges or heaps of various heights are made. Such processing is typical for newly developed lands, where the remains of trees, branches, stumps lie. It is well adapted to local conditions, but it is very laborious, takes a lot of time and, of course, does not allow work to be carried out at the agrotechnical level required by modern varieties and hybrids.

With intensive soil preparation practices in the Sahel zone of Africa, rain corn is plowed at the very end of the previous wet season after the previous crop has been harvested. The processing depth is 22-25 cm. At the beginning of the new rainy season, disking and harrowing are carried out. Such treatment is effective at an early sowing time, that is, at the very beginning of the rains. On heavily weedy soils, the field is plowed with the first rains, but only if this does not delay sowing. Plowing in the dry season is also practiced, but it is shallow and lumpy due to the high dryness and density of the soil.

In areas with developed animal husbandry, 10 to 30 t/ha of manure and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied for plowing. In Cuba, soil preparation for rain-fed corn is carried out in the dry season 1-2 months before sowing. The field is leveled and processed with disc harrows. If the soil is dry, it is watered and non-moldboard plowing is done by 23-25 ​​cm, after which it is disked 2-3 more times with strong compaction and the appearance of weeds. The main growing season for maize in India is summer (kharif) when it rains heavily. Therefore, soil preparation is usually completed with surface drainage to remove excess water from the field. It consists in one deep tractor plowing or two or three shallow wooden plows.

Under plowing, manure, composts are brought in, or legumes are covered with green manure. In addition, when growing high-yielding varieties and hybrids, up to 80-120 kg/ha of nitrogen, 45-60 kg/ha of phosphorus and 20-40 kg/ha of potassium are used. The entire dose of phosphorus and potassium and 1/3 of nitrogen is applied before sowing for fine tillage, which completes soil preparation. Sow corn 7-10 days before the onset of monsoons, making 1-2 small waterings for good seedlings.

With a high culture of agriculture, sowing grain corn is used with row spacing of 60-75 cm (in rows 20-25 cm), a seeding rate of 16-20 kg / ha and a seeding depth of 3-5 cm. However, more often the sowing technique is traditional, manual - in plow furrow or scattered, the latter is most typical for fodder crops. The calendar dates for sowing are very different depending on the area and the method of cultivation: spring - from early March to early May; summer - from early June to mid-July and autumn - from late August to early October, when irrigated corn is sown.

In the humid tropics of West Africa, where two rainy seasons are clearly expressed, sowing is carried out twice: in March - April and in September - October, getting 2 crops per year. In northern dry areas with one short wet season, corn is sown in late April - May, when the first rains fall and one crop is obtained. Irrigated or flooded floodplain lands produce maize hybrids that are sown at the end of the rains and grown during the dry season. In most small-scale farms in West Africa, sowing is manual, in heaps of earth or ridges to a depth of 2,5-4 cm, at a distance of 0,9-1,5 m.

Sowing in the plow furrow is widespread. Mechanized sowing is carried out with seeders with row spacing of 75-90 cm, while usually 40-45 thousand plants per 1 ha are obtained. In Cuba, there are 2 seasons for growing corn: wet - with sowing in early April and dry (irrigated crop) - the second half of November. In the first case, sowing less often - 35-37 thousand plants / ha, in the second thick - 40-45 thousand plants / ha, it is mechanized, wide-row - 90 cm.

In the US Cotton Belt, which is mainly located in the subtropics, a number of different technologies have been developed to obtain high yields of hybrids (up to 10 t/ha and more). Below is one of them for the southwestern zone of the country. In autumn, after harvesting the previous crop (corn), the field is disked twice and a mixture of anhydrous ammonia (336 kg/ha) and 2,4 l/ha of nitrification inhibitor - nitropyrine is applied to decompose plant residues. In winter, compost prepared using manure and mineral fertilizers, designed for a grain yield of 12,5 t/ha, is taken out to the field, after which the soil is loosened. At the beginning of April, water-charging irrigation is carried out by sprinkling in 2 terms, at the end of April, plowing is done, followed by processing with a disc harrow

Sowing is carried out with a disc seeder with row spacing of 70 cm. The seeding rate is 85-92 thousand seeds/ha to obtain a sowing density of 80 thousand plants per 1 ha. Ruts from the wheels of the seeder and tractor are destroyed with a chisel. After sowing, laso (4,7 l/ha) and atrazine (1,1 kg/ha) are applied superficially, and sprinkling is immediately carried out to settle the soil and introduce herbicides into it.

Maize requires careful sowing care from germination to heading (panicle emergence), which largely determines the timing of ripening and harvesting, as well as the level of yield. The main elements of care are to keep the soil loose and moist, feed the plants and protect them from diseases, pests and weeds. In most small farms in developing countries, care is reduced to manual weeding, thinning and loosening of the soil, as well as the collection of pests and their larvae from plants. For inter-row cultivation, local primitive soil-cultivating implements are used - hand-operated or live-drawn. Large farms, cooperatives and state agricultural enterprises use modern means and methods of plant care.

Clogged fields and heavy soils, where a dense crust has formed after heavy rains, are treated with tractor harrows even before the emergence of corn seedlings. After their appearance, inter-row cultivation begins until the corn leaves close in the aisles. At the same time, fertilizing (usually nitrogenous) is done, the number of which depends on the fertility of the soil and the age of the plants. They begin with the formation of 3-4 leaves in corn and end before heading. For example, in India, from 30 to 60 kg/ha of nitrogen is added to top dressing for corn hybrids in one - before heading or in two steps - before the start of intensive growth and heading.

In Africa (Zambia, Ghana, Mauritius), one-time nitrogen supplements are given in the amount of 30-50 kg/ha 45 days after sowing corn. In Venezuela, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizer (20-40 kg/ha) 35-40 days after corn sowing, and apply the rest of the fertilizer (N120P80K40) before sowing.

Chemical control of weeds, diseases and pests is relatively uncommon in tropical corn growing regions, but has increased significantly in recent years. Most grass weeds from the same family as corn are destroyed with the help of soil (basic) herbicides, which are applied before sowing. If weeds resist the main herbicides, then they are destroyed with the help of insurance - post-emergence preparations, which are applied when 3-6 leaves are formed in corn.

Against stem grinders (larvae of various butterflies) - the main pests of corn in the tropics, 1-2 treatments with chemicals such as endrin, sevin, furadan, toxa-fen, endosulfan, etc. are used. Spores of the most common fungal diseases - blister and loose smut, leaf spot - destroy by seed treatment with mercury preparations and agrotechnical measures - the introduction of resistant varieties, the correct alternation of crops, the destruction of weeds - intermediate hosts, burning stubble.

In areas where less than 200-300 mm of precipitation falls during the growing season of corn, it is grown during irrigation. In the foothill zones and river valleys of Africa and Asia, melt or flood waters are used for irrigation, which are delayed by temporary barriers. Such irrigation (estuary) without additional precipitation during the growing season makes it possible to obtain small grain yields - 1,5-2 t/ha. The main method of regular watering of corn in the tropics is furrow. Furrows are made of different depths and widths in each row spacing or through one. Water is supplied to them from permanent (rivers, ponds, canals) and temporary sprinklers, which are cut during the growing season of corn.

The timing of irrigation depends on soil moisture and plant age. In dry areas, to get good shoots, watering begins at planting time. The highest rates and number of waterings are required in the period from heading to the end of seed filling. For example, in the typical tropics of Thailand, 2 irrigations at the beginning of the growing season were enough to get a yield of 5-7 t/ha of grain from new varieties. In India, when growing corn in the dry winter season, this was not enough, the number of irrigations had to be increased to 4-6, only in this case the productivity of a hectare reached 5,7-6,8 tons of grain. In the subtropics of Egypt and Pakistan, maximum corn yields are obtained with 5-7 irrigations per growing season. But irrigation alone is not enough for this, varieties with high productivity potential, optimal planting density and sufficient levels of nutrients, especially nitrogen, are needed.

In the Philippines, where corn is the second most important grain crop after rice, until then they could not get an average national yield of more than 1 t / ha until new hybrids were developed and intensive technologies for their cultivation were developed. As a result, in the dry season, irrigated corn against the background of N150P60K60 at a sowing density of 80 thousand plants/ha gave a yield of 12,3 t/ha. In total, in both seasons, the harvest amounted to 22,4 t/ha. So far, this is a harvest from experimental plots, but a program for the wide implementation of the results of scientific research is outlined.

A characteristic feature of the development of irrigation in the US Cotton Belt in recent decades is the use of irrigation in humid areas. Thus, in the state of Florida with an average annual rainfall of 1200-1400 mm, the irrigated area has increased almost 10 times in 1,7 years. Here, a technology has been developed for corn cultivation under irrigation to obtain yields of 12,5-15 t/ha (against 9-9,5 t/ha without irrigation). According to this technology, the irrigation regime should provide for the supply of 25 mm of water every 3-4 days, if this amount of moisture is not provided by precipitation. Plant density should be 67-75 thousand plants/ha. Particular attention is paid to maintaining a deficit-free diet, since top dressing after a deficiency of one or another nutrient can no longer fully compensate for the damage caused to the crop.

In order to prevent water loss and reduce soil temperature, in the tropics during the dry season, mulching (covering row spacing) with manure, compost, dry leaves, stems and other organic matter is used. Experiments in Nigeria have shown that this is a very effective care technique, increasing the yield not only of corn, but also of the crop that follows it in the crop rotation.

Corn ripens 7-8 weeks after flowering. Her leaves turn yellow, the cob wrappers dry out, the grain becomes glossy and hard. Physiological ripeness occurs at grain moisture content of 35-40%, when the maximum dry mass is accumulated. But since the grain does not crumble, the plants can be left in the field until its moisture content drops to 15-20%.

Usually, when manually harvesting in the dry season, the peasants do this or cut the plants with sickles and put them in sheaves to dry. Dry cobs are broken out with part of the stem, tied into bundles and hung for storage in places inaccessible to water, rats and insects. There are other ways to store corn cobs at home. Mechanized harvesting of grain corn is started at grain moisture content of 25-35%. Corn harvesters or specially converted grain harvesters combine a whole range of operations during the harvesting process: they cut plants, separate the cobs, peel them from the wrappers, thresh the grain, chop the stems and leaves.

In the absence of harvesters, harvesters are used that only separate the cobs or still clean them from the wrappers, the rest of the work is carried out on stationary machines and installations. Corn for silage is harvested in the milky-wax ripeness of the grain, for green fodder - in the flowering phase of plants. The calendar dates for harvesting grain corn in the Cotton Belt of the United States, Mexico and the countries of equatorial America fall on August-October (the main crop). The second harvest in the tropics of South America is taken in January-April.

In West Africa, with one crop, harvesting is carried out in October-November, and with two crops, the rain-fed crop is harvested in June-August, and the irrigated crop is harvested in December-February. In North and East Africa, the main harvesting time is from July to October. In the tropics of Southeast Asia, there are several dates for harvesting corn. In India, the main crop is harvested from August to November, in Myanmar from November to December, and in Indonesia from December to February.

Authors: Baranov V.D., Ustimenko G.V.

Corn, Zea mays L. Botanical description, history of origin, nutritional value, cultivation, use in cooking, medicine, industry

An annual herbaceous plant up to 3 m high. The stem is strong, erect, with internodes. Leaves are vaginal, broadly linear, flat. The plant is monoecious. Male flowers are a paniculate inflorescence at the end of the stem, female - in the form of inflorescences-cobs are formed in the axils of the leaves. The cob is covered with wrappers; at the top of the flower ovary, a column grows with light green or cherry-brown stigmas. The fruit is a yellow or reddish grain of various shapes. Blooms in July-August.

The plant is native to South America. The first information about corn, how it was grown and eaten by the population of South America (Mexico, Guatemala) was obtained in 1492 by Columbus. Indian tribes used not only grain, but also other parts of the plant: soups were prepared from pollen, and syrup and wine were made from stems. In the XNUMXth century, corn began to be cultivated in southern Europe.

Modern corn, with its massive ears, densely packed large and strong grains, is a miracle, almost entirely created by human hands over many years of selection. The plant has very little in common with the "savages" from which corn could have descended (its direct wild ancestor has never been found in nature). Due to high yields and versatility of use (as a food product, medicinal plant, fodder and industrial crop), corn has gained great popularity. It is currently cultivated in many countries.

According to the shape and consistency of the grains, tooth-like, siliceous, starchy, sugar, waxy, rice corn are distinguished. Common are dentate and siliceous.

Corn is a heat-, light- and moisture-loving crop. It is sown in the third decade of April. Seeds are planted to a depth of 6-10 cm. When two to five leaves appear, the plants are thinned out, leaving no more than four per 1 m2. In mid-latitudes, amateur vegetable growers grow sweet corn. It is sown at different times: from April to the end of June; usually placed after tomatoes, along the edge of the garden. Sweet corn cobs are harvested in the phase of milky-wax ripeness (approximately in mid-July). Keep them for no more than three days. Grain corn is harvested when it reaches full maturity. It is dried and processed. Corn columns with stigmas are harvested on crops intended for silage.

Corn grain is rich in substances useful for the body. It has a high percentage of easily digestible sugars, proteins and fats. Corn is a natural multivitamin. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, D, E, H, K, PP, carotene, pantothenic acid and phenolic glycosides; a lot of minerals in the grain (magnesium, iron, copper, nickel, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon). Corn columns with stigmas contain vitamins B, C, D, E, K, bitterness, essential oils, fats, gums, resins, glycosides and other substances. In corn oil obtained from seed germs, many vitamins F, E, and carotene were found.

Corn is used for medicinal purposes. A decoction of corn columns with stigmas has a choleretic property and is used for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. As an appetite suppressant, it is recommended for weight loss in obesity. Stigmas also have a diuretic effect; they are used for stones in the bladder and kidneys, for edema of a congestive nature, as a hemostatic agent for gynecological diseases.

A clinical study of preparations of corn stigmas (infusions, decoctions, extracts) as a choleretic agent showed that they provide a stable therapeutic effect in the treatment of cholecystitis, cholangitis, and hepatitis. With their systematic use, the feeling of heaviness in the liver area disappears, its size decreases, nausea and vomiting stop.

Corn oil lowers blood cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is recommended as an adjuvant for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, liver disease. Thanks to vitamin E contained in the oil, the aging process in the body is inhibited. The oil contributes to the accumulation in the tissues of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K, F, without which fat metabolism is impossible. Corn oil is used to treat a number of skin conditions.

From mature corn grains, grits and flour are obtained. Hominy is cooked from cornmeal, which is considered a traditional national food in Moldova, confectionery products and sticks are prepared. The grain of flint and rice corn is glassy, ​​hard. It is used to make flakes and a popular delicacy - puffed corn, obtained by heating the grains, which break and turn outward, forming a lush mass. Corn grain, rich in proteins and fats, does not have gluten, so corn flour itself is not suitable for baking bread, but it can be used as an additive to wheat for this purpose. Edible oil is consumed fresh with salads, vinaigrettes.

Corn is a valuable fodder plant. Approximately 50% of the world's harvest is fed to livestock. It is estimated that 10-12 kg of corn turn into 1 kg of meat. Of particular importance is silage made from stalks with corn on the cob.

Starch and starch (grape) sugar, molasses, acetone, etc. are produced from grain.

Authors: Kretsu L.G., Domashenko L.G., Sokolov M.D.

Corn (maize), Zea Mays L. Classification, synonyms, botanical description, nutritional value, cultivation

Names: Ukrainian daddy; Az. gargs gave; arm. egypitatsoren; cargo, simindi; German Mais, Speisemais, Zucker mais; Goal. suikermais; dates sukkermajs; Swede, majs; English sugar maize, table maise; Amer. sweet corn; fr. mais sucre; it. grano turco dolce; Spanish mais dulce, trigo de indias; port, mitho assucardo; rum. porumbpentru masa; hung. tengeri, kukorica; Slovenian turscica, kuruza; Serb, kukuruz; Polish kukurydza; Japanese to. morokoshi.

Sweet corn is considered a vegetable, all varieties of which belong to the species Zea Mays L.

This species is divided into the following five subspecies.

1. subsp. mexicana Kozh. - Mexican corn; distributed in Central, partly in North and South America.
2. subsp. american Kozh. - North American dent corn; cultivated in the USA.
3. subsp. Arizonic Kozh. - Arizona corn; distributed in the southwestern, northern and northeastern regions of the United States.
4. subsp. europaea Kozh. - real European corn; cultivated in Europe, partly in Asia and South America.
5. subsp. orientalis Kozh. - Middle Eastern corn; widespread in the Middle East.

Corn is an annual plant with a straight stem up to 4 m in height. The leaves are broadly lanceolate, glabrous on the underside, and pubescent on the top to varying degrees.

Flowers are dioecious; male ones are collected in spreading panicles, with long spicate branches, on which two spikelets are loosely located - one of them is almost sessile, the other is on a leg.

Female flowers are collected on the cob.

Male spikelets are lanceolate, with 1-2 (3) flowers, with 2 herbaceous glumes and the same number of small, almost square, fleshy flower films.

Female spikelets are short, blunt, with 2 flowers, of which usually only one (upper) bears fruit, with membranous spikelet and membranous scales, without bracts.

Styles very long, filiform, with bilobed stigmas. The fruit is a caryopsis, of various consistency, size, shape and color.

The grain of sugar varieties is characterized by a high content of dextrin, fat, protein and a lower content of starch. The maximum content of sugars in the stage of milky ripeness is about 8%.

Sweet corn is a moisture and thermophilic plant; seeds germinate at +12-13°C.

Seedlings are sensitive to frost, so they are sown relatively late. The best for corn are fertile soils with good aeration.

Maize is sown before the passage of the last spring frosts, with seed drills, with distances between nests of 40-50 cm. The depth of seed placement is 6-8 cm. Additional pollination is a specific measure for caring for corn. Recently, sweet corn has been sown with hybrid seeds.

Author: Ipatiev A.N.

Corn (maize), Zea Mays. L. Botanical description, range and habitats, chemical composition, medical and industrial uses

An annual plant with hard stems with a filled core, up to 1-5 m high, of the grass family (Gramineae).

The flowers are unisexual: female flowers form an ear with filiform stigmas, located in the axils of the leaves of the middle part of the stem. Male spikelets form an apical paniculate sprawling inflorescence. The fruit is a caryopsis, rounded, compressed or kidney-shaped.

Blossoms in August, fruits ripen in September-October.

Range and habitats. Native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. Widely cultivated in many regions of the world.

Chemical composition. Up to 2,5% fatty oil, bitter glycosidic substances - up to 1,15%, saponins - 3,18%, cryptosanthin, ascorbic and pantothenic acids, vitamin K, inositol, sitosterol, stigmasterol were found in the stigmas and columns of corn. Corn seeds contain starch F1,2%), corn oil, a fairly significant amount of pentosans G.4%), various vitamins: B1 -0,15-0,2 mg%, B2-about 100 mg%, vitamin Wb, biotin , nicotinic and pantothenic acids, flavone derivatives, quercetin, isoquercitrin, etc.

The endosperm of corn contains indolyl-3-pyruvic acid.

The grain of corn contains about 6% fatty oil, mainly in the germ, where it is about 60%. After separating the grain from the germs, corn oil is obtained from the latter by pressing or extraction. Fresh oil is transparent, golden-yellow in color, the smell is weak, it has good taste, it is well absorbed.

For medicinal purposes, corn columns with stigmas (Styli et stigmata Maidis) are used. They are harvested during the ripening period of the ears by hand, tearing off bundles of threads from the cob. Dry in the open air or on the veranda, laying out a loose thin layer.

Application in medicine. Corn stigmas have choleretic properties. The action is associated with the total amount of substances contained in them, including corn oil. Stigmas also have diuretic activity.

Corn oil has a beneficial effect on metabolism, is a valuable food and therapeutic agent. In the experiment, corn oil increases the tone of the gallbladder, increases the contraction of its walls, and regulates the activity of the sphincter of Oddi. After 1-1,5 hours, the tone of the gallbladder decreases and the bladder is again filled with fresh bile.

Corn oil in the nature of the action on the motility of the gallbladder is similar to egg yolk. Common to them is the short duration of the period of initial expansion of the bladder (2-3 minutes) followed by its long and vigorous contraction, the absence of sharp fluctuations in the bladder tone and the rhythmic activity of the sphincter of Oddi. At the same time, there is a difference in the action of corn oil and yolks. In response to taking corn oil, the contraction of the walls of the gallbladder is longer, while a persistent decrease in tone and filling the gallbladder with fresh bile occurs later.

Sunflower oil, unlike corn oil, immediately after ingestion causes a decrease in the tone of the gallbladder, which is replaced by a gradual tonic contraction of its walls. Atropine largely removes the motor effect caused by corn oil. Apparently, the change in the motor activity of the glands of the excretory system under the influence of corn oil is carried out with the participation of the vagus nerve system.

The value of corn oil is also determined by its content of unsaturated fatty acids (80%) and phosphatides - 1,5 g per 100 g of oil. Unsaturated fatty acids: linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic are involved in many metabolic processes. They are among the substances that regulate cholesterol metabolism.

Unsaturated fatty acids form soluble compounds with cholesterol and prevent its deposition in the vascular wall.

There are indications that in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, consuming food rich in linoleic acid, the tendency to thrombosis decreases. Linoleic and linolenic acids are not synthesized in the body, they come only with food. One source of unsaturated fatty acids is corn oil.

Corn oil is also rich in phosphatides - biologically active substances that are part of cell membranes; Phosphatides play a particularly important role in brain tissue function. Phosphatides regulate the content of cholesterol in the body and promote the accumulation of proteins. In the absence of phosphatides, fats accumulate intensively and cholesterol is deposited in the tissues. The body's need for phosphatides is relatively high, and unrefined corn oil can be one source.

Raw, unrefined corn oil is recommended as an auxiliary dietary remedy for the prevention and treatment of general and regional atherosclerosis, obesity, obliterating arterial disease in diabetes mellitus, etc.

Application in medicine. The use of corn stigmas in the form of decoctions and infusions has long been known in medicine. For the most part, preparations of corn stigmas were used as cholagogues and diuretics. They are used for cholecystitis, cholangitis and hepatitis. They are especially effective in cases of delayed bile secretion.

Preparations of corn stigmas increase the secretion of bile, reduce its viscosity and relative density, reduce the content of bilirubin, increase the content of prothrombin in the blood and cause an acceleration of blood clotting. Sometimes corn stigmas are used as a hemostatic agent. They are more effective in hypothrombinemia.

Corn silk is used as a diuretic, with kidney stones, bladder stones, with inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and edema of various nature.

Preparations. Liquid corn stigma extract (Extractum Stigmatum maydis fluidum). Take 30-40 drops 2-3 times a day as a choleretic.

Infusion of stigmas of corn. Corn stigmas are brewed like tea, at the rate of 15 g per 200 ml of boiling water, insist, filter and drink 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day. To prepare a decoction, 10 g of dry corn stigmas are pre-soaked for 1 hour in 300 ml of cold water, boiled in a sealed container for 30 minutes, filtered and drunk 2-3 tablespoons 4-5 times a day.

Other uses. Corn is used in cooking. The plant is also grown for silage and harvested at the stage of milky-wax ripeness by forage harvesters with special headers. Corn for silage has a high yield.

Authors: Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N.

Corn. The history of growing a plant, economic importance, cultivation, use in cooking

What is a corn plant? Corn, aka maize, is a cereal, albeit a very peculiar one.

Instead of an ear, she has cobs sticking out of the leaf axils, the grains in them are not elongated, but cubic or rounded, the stem is not hollow. It is not surprising that Europeans who saw corn for the first time were deeply impressed by it.

It is the only cereal that is of American origin. The Indians introduced it to culture about 5000 years ago. Archaeologists find cobs of that time, small, only 5-10 cm in length - not to be compared with the current giants. Wild corn does not exist in nature, the ancestor of the cultivated form is unknown. Perhaps it was the Mexican teosinte weed (Euchlaena mexicana): outwardly it resembles corn, but instead of cobs it has ears.

Modern cultivated corn does not run wild, as its grains do not crumble to the ground, and the cobs do not break off, because the stems are strong. Such a plant is a gift for the farmer, but it cannot exist without it.

What foods are made from corn? Corn as a food plant acts in three guises. It is a cereal, flour, various cereals, cereals and even starch are made from it, alcohol is distilled and beer is brewed. Starch is a polymer of glucose, so molasses, syrup, and glucose itself are made from corn. Corn syrup contains a lot of fructose, which is sweeter than sugar, so it is valued in dietary nutrition.

Grains contain up to 8% fat, oil is squeezed out of them, so corn also got into oil plants. And finally, there are vegetable varieties with a high content of sugar and proteins. Their cobs are harvested at the stage of milky ripeness, boiled or canned.

What is useful corn? Corn grains are a low-calorie dietary product. Its energy value is only 97 kilocalories per 100 grams. Corn grain contains up to 70% carbohydrates, from 7 to 20% protein, 4-8% fat, vitamins and salts of potassium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Vitamins and oil are concentrated mainly in the embryo, everything else is in the endosperm. In the grain of vegetable varieties, sugars are 4-8%, one and a half to two times more than in cereals. Corn proteins have a significant drawback - they have very little of the essential amino acid lysine.

The Indians somehow felt this and found a way out: they mixed corn with beans, in which there is a lot of lysine, but little tryptophan. Beans and tryptophan-rich corn complement each other perfectly, this mixture is called succotash. Corn grits and flour are free of gluten, a protein found in almost all cereals. Therefore, patients with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) can safely eat corn porridge and tortillas. But it is better for such people to abstain from whole grains, because gluten is present in the embryos.

(Flour and grits are made from endosperm that has been stripped of oily germs to keep the product longer.) Corn is rich in B vitamins, especially vitamin B, which affects the functioning of the nervous system, muscles, heart, and the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair and nails.

What is hominy? Hominy is probably the most famous dish made from corn grits or wholemeal flour. It is a thick porridge boiled in salt water. Corn grits thicken for a long time, so the porridge must be stirred regularly, but a crust will still form at the bottom of the pan. Experienced chefs advise to dry it over low heat and use crispy pieces as savory cookies.

Hominy replaces bread and is rather tasteless on its own. Therefore, it is seasoned with spices, garlic, tomato sauce, salty cheese, eaten with beans or fried meat. The cooled porridge is so dense that it can be cut. It makes sense to do so, and then fry the pieces in vegetable oil along with the cheese.

Hominy cooked by the inhabitants of the Mediterranean is called polenta.

Why is cornmeal not used to bake bread? Bread in our understanding, porous and elastic, cannot be made from corn flour, because it does not contain gliadin proteins. What is sold in stores called "corn bread" is made from wheat flour with the addition of corn - it gives the product brittleness and a sweetish taste. And the Indians baked tortillas - thin cakes made from doughless dough mixed with water. Tortilla replaced them with bread and a plate, they wrap the filling in it while it is fresh, and it stales quickly. Such cakes can be fried at home in a dry hot frying pan, adding vegetable oil and salt to the dough.

What comes first: popcorn or movies? Popcorn, also known as puffed corn, is corn kernels that burst when heated. In our minds, popcorn is separated by a comma? movie show, but the Indians invented this dish: they fried the grains in oil or calcined in the sand.

Popcorn is made from special varieties of beans. In "exploding" corn, the inner nutritive part of the grain, the endosperm, has a mealy, starchy core surrounded by a denser protein-containing layer. Cornstarch binds water, which, when heated, turns into steam and expands. For some time, the dense shell resists the pressure of water, but at 200 ° C it does not withstand and bursts. The starch, softened under the action of high temperature and pressure, turns into a foamy structure and quickly hardens.

How are corn flakes and sticks prepared? Corn flakes are not the same as popcorn. Germ-free corn grits are boiled in salted syrup, then formed into thin petals and fried in ovens until crispy. Some nutritionists claim that cereal is bad because of the syrup.

Corn sticks are also made from cereals. It, together with the necessary additives, is loaded into a special machine - an extruder, where it is heated under pressure and mixed at the same time. Then the mixture is squeezed out through the holes, and it quickly solidifies, turning into porous sticks.

What does Alain Delon drink? This actor is known to drink double bourbon. Bourbon is whiskey made from corn with other grains added to make it less sweet. The must must contain at least 51% and no more than 80% corn. The drink got its name from the place where it was first produced - Bourbon County in Kentucky. The process of making bourbon has some peculiarities. The grain is not malted, that is, not germinated, but simply finely crushed, mixed with water and left to ferment. The resulting wort is distilled and aged for two years in oak barrels of port or brandy. The first barrel makers were charred. Those who could not bear to wait so long drank whiskey immediately after distillation. A drink that has not yet acquired a golden color is called a "white dog". Drinking bourbon is supposed to be in portions of 40 ml, double bourbon - a double serving.

What's good about corn oil? Corn oil is pressed from corn germ. It does not burn and does not form carcinogens when heated, so you can fry on it. Vegetable oils are generally healthier than butter. The highlight of corn oil is the high content of fat-soluble vitamin E (tocopherol), which normalizes the endocrine system, protects our body from premature aging and from external toxic effects. Vitamin K, also fat-soluble, regulates blood clotting and plays an important role in bone formation and repair.

There are other vitamins in corn oil: F, B, PP and provitamin A. It is rich in lecithin, which prevents the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels, so corn oil is recommended for atherosclerosis.

What dishes are made from corn? In Russia, two traditional ways of using corn are to put it in a salad from a tin can or to boil the whole cob (a seasonal dish).

We are also accustomed to corn sticks, cereal or popcorn. They are often eaten with milk, honey or chocolate. We have already talked about cereals and cakes. But there are also casseroles with vegetables, eggs, cheese and even mushrooms; omelets; cobs marinated, salted and fried on a grill or in batter; numerous soups; muffins and cakes with the addition of cornmeal; nachos corn chips are the most popular snack, which is not served with anything.

From an endless variety of recipes, we traditionally choose the simplest: corn halva. It is necessary to soak 500 g of corn grains overnight, and then boil in the same water until the grains turn white. Honey (200 g) is also boiled over low heat. When a honey drop dipped in cold water becomes brittle, the honey is ready. Cooked corn is placed in it and mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

If this is difficult, we cook corn with sour cream. Two hundred grams of canned corn, heated in its own liquid, put in a saucepan, add 50 g of sour cream and boil until the sour cream has evaporated to the consistency of the sauce.

Author: Ruchkina N.

Millennium stalks. Featured article

It is difficult to say how the inhabitants of the New World would have managed without corn. At least they ate their favorite maize already 7000 years ago. And when Christopher Columbus first set foot on the American coast, the Indians were already growing maize on a massive scale.

Columbus' brother Diego once even got lost in the cornfields. He walked along them for 18 miles, but they did not end. The leader of the conquistadors, F. Cortes, suffered even more trouble. His cavalry more than once got stuck in dense thickets of mighty cereal.

But the times are gone. Maize has long been transported to all continents. In terms of area, it almost caught up with wheat and rice. And so well got accustomed that there were doubts.

Maybe maize also grew in Asia? And in Africa? They began to look for the progenitor of maize - wild corn. But until recent years, it was not possible to find.

We found a lot of unresolved problems, mysteries and ambiguities. Take at least commercial grain. Breeders have succeeded in raising yields. With the help of hybrid strength - heterosis - they get a double yield in the first generation of hybrids. But as for the size of the grain, it was not possible to outdo the Indian gardeners.

Already after Columbus, the Indians developed the Cusco-Gigante variety with grains 50 times larger than those of small-seeded corn. Each grain is the size of a two-kopeck piece or an apricot pit.

Such hulks eat in a special way. Usually, how is it? They grind the cob into flour, bake cakes or cook porridge - hominy. Cusco Gigante is not ground. And hominy don't do it. The grains are boiled like dumplings, like dumplings, and eaten whole, prying with a fork and dipping in melted butter.

Europeans were unspeakably delighted with maize. Such a lot of food! Compared with maize, the usual wheat seemed pitiful and ridiculous.

One ear is worth a hundred ears. And he is not alone on the stem. Sometimes ten. The beast also quickly appreciated the new food when corn was taken to Europe.

Birds make constant raids on plantations, seize part of the crop as a legal payment for cleaning the fields from insects. Farmers, on the other hand, believe that birds should work for nothing, which is why difficult situations arise.

The German traveler E. Peppig more than once witnessed how large noisy arara parrots devastated corn fields. Feathered beasts arrive inaudibly, sit down across the field and begin to peel the ripening cobs. If the owner notices the thieves and grabs the gun, this does not help him much.

The parrots set out several sentries in advance - old, worldly birds. They perch on the tallest trees and sound the alarm. First, a warning, to which the pack of thieves responds with a restrained, muffled grunt. When the second is heard, it is no longer possible to delay.

The "robbers" quit their job and take to the air with such a deafening howl that the farmer has to drop his gun and cover his ears. However, as soon as his back is hidden behind the threshold of the hut, the green robbers return. Silently. And everything starts all over again.

In the temperate zone, where there are no parrots, their mission is carried out by rooks. Inexorably attracts rooks corn. Their relationship with the Queen of the Fields was so tense that in Russia they were specially dealt with in 1913 by the South Russian Agricultural Newspaper. A heated discussion on this issue opened on its pages. It was started by Professor A. Zaikevich. He sowed corn in two ways.

Simple, on a flat field. And deep furrows. Rooks and jackdaws followed him literally on his heels, picking grain from the ground, as soon as the car filled it up from above. However, the birds carried out such an "inventory" only on a flat field. In the furrows, the seed material was completely preserved. But even fields approached the estate closer, where birds could always be disturbed and scared away.

On June 27, 1913, a note appeared in the "South Russian" newspaper. Its essence was this. The rook is a cautious bird by nature. Stealing grain, she is always on the alert. Beck and immediately head up. Look around: is there any danger? In the furrow, the rook is like in a trap. From there, the review is bad.

I can not see anything. Therefore, the bird does not dare to descend into the furrow. The risk is too great. It's easier on a flat field.

You can sneak out there in time. Comparing all the facts, the author of the note made the only and very important conclusion: this corn in the furrows!

This note was published on June 27, 1913 in the 25th issue of the South Russian newspaper. Less than a month later, M. Reznikov's response appeared in issue 27. He had just returned from the fields where corn was sown in furrows. I came to the exact opposite conclusion. His rooks pecked the crops in the furrows. They also dared to appear on level ground, but there they managed to be driven away. In the furrows, they hid securely and under the cover of the walls, as in a trench, they collected grain calmly and unhurriedly.

"Yes, it couldn't be otherwise," Reznikov reasoned.

Having reasoned this way, the opponent made his conclusion: if you want to keep the corn, don't sow it in the furrows!

Another two weeks passed, and on August 1, the readers of the newspaper got acquainted with the third opinion. Written by newspaper columnist D. Fedorov. His opinion: it does not matter how to sow - in the furrows or not. Just to go deeper. And most importantly, let the watchman not doze off. Birds watch the watchmen vigilantly. A little absent for lunch - they announce an emergency.

They fly in a whole flock, like arara parrots. Every minute counts. Several dozen grains are selected per minute.

Bewildered by such different recommendations, agronomists feverishly changed tactics. They tried to plow and sow deeper, but the long nose of the rook extracted grain from any depth. The seeds were soaked in a resin-soap solution. Painted with red minium. In vain!

In 1914, a special book "The Agricultural Importance of the Rook" was published. In it, the bird was disassembled by the bones. The result was staggering: not so much eat corn as harmful insects. Rook was acquitted.

Meanwhile, if you think carefully, you could find a Solomonic solution. At least the Mexicans found it a long time ago. In tropical areas, they hang the cobs, left to seed, from the ceiling of the hut. When a fire is kindled in the hearth and food is cooked, the smoke rises to the ceiling. Since there is no chimney, smoke swirls under the dome until it leaks out through cracks in the thatched roof.

Cobs of smoke are saturated almost through and through. The grains will be covered with a layer of tar. Germination from tar is not lost, but no one on the field will touch them. No weevil, no birds, no rodents.

But the rook in the field is not alone. Likes corn and crow. When shoots appear, crows roam the field and pull them out. Poaching continues for two or three weeks. And there is almost no grain left.

In autumn, the pilgrimage continues as soon as the ears ripen. And only the roar of a gun makes them come to their senses. Jays - they are not afraid of guns. But neither jays nor crows bring as much trouble as wild boars. Those host at any time. Saves from them only a strong fence. But you can't fence off all the fields. There is a dilemma: wild boars or corn? Is it really possible, where there are a lot of wild boars, to refuse corn?

So, the first problem "corn - animals" remained unresolved. And there are a lot of such problems. But first, about the corn itself. She is different. There is a tall one - eight meters, with a two-story house. And near Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, our friend grows only half a meter. Miscellaneous and cobs.

The progenitor of Cusco Gigante has cobs almost half a meter long. Maybe they would have grown more, but there is one limitation. Pollen tubes do not grow more than half a meter. And the length of the cob depends on them.

Distinguish corn and grain. The most valuable is dentate. The grains have a dent at the top, like a molar. There are starchy grains: almost pure starch - 82 percent. There is sugar. Some of the sugars do not thicken into starch, but remain so. Now brought supersugar. They make delicious preserves.

But the most interesting is pop corn. In Russian - airy, or bursting. The grain is smaller than other forms. On the other hand, if you throw wet grains into boiling oil, the water will instantly turn into steam and explode the caryopsis. She will swell with a tender, almost weightless mass and turn into corn sticks. This popcorn turned out to be involved in the history of the origin of the corn genus. To figure out the story, you need to find the starting point - wild corn.

The impression made by the transformation of pop grains into a delicacy of the XNUMXth century was so strong that a young Argentine botanist who took part in the excavations fell ill with a nervous breakdown. Returning home, he reported to the scientific council: if someone wants to test his nerves for strength, let him deal with cave corn.

So what have we learned? That 4000 years ago there was corn, in general similar to ours. The wild was still far away. And archaeologists rushed to new searches. This time to Mexico, where there were also many different caves. Checked out a few of them. We chose one - Coxcatlan. They dug into the bottom of the cave again. And they took out a tiny stalk.

Maize connoisseur Professor P. Mangelsdorf turned it over in his hands. Finally nodded in the affirmative: she! Wild! And soon he gave a public lecture. She was a resounding success.

Botanists' dreams come true! Wild corn found. True, while a fossil.

But then came 1969, and there were doubts. Is it really wild? And if the find is only a stage of domestication? And if the wild lurks in even more distant depths of millennia? The reason for the doubts turned out to be a plant that is extremely similar to maize. It even earlier belonged to the same genus zea as maize. Many still do. It is an equally prominent herb teosinte. Double maize.

"Seeing them growing side by side, even the sharp, trained eye of an Indian cannot distinguish before flowering." The difference is in the beginning. In maize, it is strong, you will not break it. Teosinte is fragile, as befits savages. The spikelets of maize are paired, those of theo are single.

Teosinte is not so rare in nature. In Guatemala, in the mountains, there are thousands of acres. Near houses and along the edges of fields. They call it the "mother of maize" (however, sorghum is also called that).

So, teosinte is the wild ancestor of maize? This still needs to be proven. L. Burbank was the first to take up evidence.

In the hands of Burbank, incomprehensible transformations took place. He brought out cacti without thorns, plum without seeds. Now undertook to remake the teosinte. Several years of hard work. Careful selection. And a happy ending: Theo turned into maize!

In 1921, the Literary Review and Sunday supplements to various newspapers reported on this. Around the same time, Brazilian breeder M. Bento, independently of Burbank, turned teosinte into maize in just four years! Joking!

And now, before telling what conclusion the scientific world made from these works, we need to go back a little, to 1888. Then Professor Dugues from Mexico sent a parcel with half a dozen cobs to the Massachusetts Botanical Garden. They looked like typical corn, but very small - a match long.

And the grains looked unusual - like white dog teeth. Sprouted. A creature has grown up, similar to corn and not similar. They called it "dog corn". And then Dugues sent a letter: "It's a type of teosinte, we call it 'coyote maize'. A hybrid between maize and teosinte."

The embarrassment was great, but apparently it was soon forgotten, because "coyote maize" later misled both Burbank and the breeder from Brazil who received maize from teosinte in four years. That's why I got it so quickly that I worked not with a pure "mother of maize", but with a hybrid! It has not yet been possible to obtain maize from pure teosinte. However, biologists do not lay down their arms. Too strongly reminds a weed of cornfields the queen of fields.

Of course, teosinte has an ear, not an ear. But as soon as several ears grow together ... The relationship of teosinte and maize, it seems, is not questioned by anyone. But what is the way of transformation of the first into the second? This path was charted only by our compatriot N. Kuleshov in 1929.

His bold hypothesis was later adopted abroad and is not forgotten until now. Its essence is this. A wild perennial teosinte once crossed with a kind of sorghum (no wonder sorghum was called the "mother of maize"). The daughter from this marriage, ancient corn, did not yet look like a modern queen of the fields. She was to marry the Mexican teosinte that has been discussed so far. With that weed that clogs the fields.

So, finally, maize turned out. Real! Although still ancient. The same pop. After all, teosinte was also found in Mexican caves. And teosinte is also capable of producing corn sticks.

Now that everything has fallen into place, it remains to find out where is she, a perennial teosinte? Does it exist? Or should we look for it again, like those thousand-year-old stalks? Yes, we have to. And for a long time. The best expert on wild teosinte, professor from the University of Wisconsin X. Iltis spent eighteen years of his life searching. Recently he came to us in Moscow and told us the following.

In love with his stranger, the professor even sent New Year's greetings to his friends not in ordinary postcards with Santa Claus, but ordered very special postcards.

They depict a wild perennial teosinte, its wretched spikelet-cob and a wide corn leaf. How did he know the stranger's appearance? The fact is that the perennial teosinte was discovered in 1810. But fate was pleased to play a cruel joke with the found treasure. In 1921, her few surviving plants ... were eaten by goats! The rarest species has disappeared.

It was in this sad situation that the scientist's Christmas cards played their decisive role.

In 1976, he sent one of them to Mexico to student R. Guzman. He in response invited the professor to his place in search of the missing stranger.

Together they went to the state of Jalisco. Here, on the outskirts of a tiny village in the foothills of the Sierra de Montantlan, they discovered their treasure. The locals called it chapule.

Convinced supporters of wild corn greeted the news enthusiastically. In their view, the near future of mankind was completely transformed. Let's cross with a cultural view. There will be perennial corn. Once you sow, reap the harvest for many years. No soil erosion.

Benefits darkness! More sober biologists remembered that annual plants give large grain yields. Perennials have little grain. But of course, there is plenty of greenery. And one more thing: it will not be possible to improve modern corn with the help of wild corn right away. And so in 25 or 50 years!

However, cultural corn still has a lot of unsolved problems. Here is one example. During the liberation of the Balkans from the Turkish yoke, Russian doctors who passed through Bessarabia along with the troops were surprised at the exceptional preservation of the teeth of the Moldavians. Even in deep old people, spoiled teeth were rare. Doctors explained this by the fact that the population mainly consumes hominy - porridge made from cornmeal. Flour contains a substance that prevents dental caries.

It is also useful to recall the episode with corn, described in the book by Paul de Kruy "Hunger Fighters". One of the heroes of the book, chemist D. Babcock, made an experiment with feeding cows. He took four groups of heifers and began to feed each group a specific feed. He gave only wheat to some heifers, oats to others, and corn to others.

The fourth group received mixed food. The calves grew. And they got calves. And then they also turned into cows. The difference in diet was not immediately apparent, but after many years the following became clear: in those cows that ate wheat, the calves grew sick and quickly died. In the "oat" group, the condition of the young animals was slightly better. Even the mixed group did not produce exemplary calves.

And only the corn diet provided a full-fledged offspring, and the health of the parents. And although medicine has not yet given an answer to this problem, it is worth thinking about it again. What is the secret of corn grain? And why does the oil that is squeezed out of it serve as a remedy for senile decrepitude?

Author: Smirnov A.

Corn. Legends, the birthplace of the plant, the history of distribution

When the Spanish sailors from the squadron of Christopher Columbus returned to their homeland, they said that they saw amazing cereal plants in the fields of the natives: they are almost as tall as a tree, and instead of ears they have huge shoots with large, like peas, grains.

So the Spanish sailors were the first of the Europeans to get acquainted with corn, which they had not had the slightest idea about before.

American Indians have long cultivated corn, calling it maize. It was their main food. The grains were boiled and fried, and drinks were made from them. A decoction of maize leaves was used to treat patients. Thick stems replaced firewood in the hearths and went to the construction of huts - wigwams.

There was no more useful plant for the Indians than maize. They wrote legends and songs about him. Many tribes revered the maize god as their great benefactor, who allegedly created this plant and taught people how to grow it.

The Spaniards learned from the Indians how to cultivate a cornfield. It was supposed to dig holes in the ground, put a fish in each, throw a few corn grains there and fill the holes with earth.

Why fish is needed, the Indians could not really explain - they answered that the great god of maize had taught them so. Only over time, the Spaniards guessed: the fish serves as fertilizer! Since then, the peasants began to apply the usual fertilizer to the fields - manure, and corn was a success.

From Europe, the ubiquitous sailors carried the new plant to different countries. Some hundred years have passed since the discovery of America, and maize has already taken root in almost all parts of the world.

Unprecedented success came to the Indian grain deservedly. Among all grain cereals, corn is the most productive. If an ear of wheat usually contains 30 grains, then there are up to a thousand of them in a corncob. Moreover, each grain of corn is much larger than wheat. So count how many times corn is more productive than wheat!

The main wealth of maize is starch. You can't cook jelly without starch. Do not do without it when washing clothes. Starched shirts, sheets and tablecloths look smarter, less wrinkled and less soiled.

Starch is needed not only in the household. It is required by factories and plants. There, alcohol and rubber, stuffing for sweets and glue for postage stamps are obtained from starch.

Once upon a time, starch was obtained mainly from potatoes. Today, more than half of this valuable product comes from corn.

But not only grain is famous for corn. Where it is well cared for, it reaches up surprisingly fast - ten centimeters a day. In southern countries, corn grows from a two-story house! In such a "forest" it is not difficult to get lost.

Huge juicy stalks and long leaves of corn are a wonderful feed for livestock. No other plant can compare with corn in terms of the abundance of food. For this, she is especially appreciated by livestock breeders.

Now it is simply difficult to imagine our fields without maize - an amazing plant given to us by the ancient Indians.

Author: Osipov N.F.

Corn. Useful information about the plant

Corn is a tall plant with ribbon-like leaves, in the axils of which cobs are formed in summer, wrapped in green leaves. From the middle of the cob hanging, like hair, brownish columns. At the top of the stem there is a panicle of flowers that form pollen, which, with a breeze, falls on the columns of flowers of the lower cobs of neighboring plants. In autumn, pulling off the green wrapper, you can see a thick ear, completely covered with large golden, and in some varieties white, red and black grains. Boiled in salt water, fresh, not yet fully ripe corn on the cob is sweet and delicious.

Ripe corn grains are used for flour, cereals, alcohol.

In Europe, corn was brought as a beautiful plant for gardens only 400 years ago from Mexico, where it was cultivated as the only bread plant.

The life and well-being of the ancient peoples of Central and South America - the Aztecs, Incas and others - depended on the harvest of corn.

Unable to explain the phenomena of nature, not knowing how to control them, these peoples invented fantastic patrons for themselves - gods. The most revered god of the Aztecs was the god of corn Sinteol. During the excavations, a large number of corn gods were found, made of gold, brick and corn cobs.

About corn, ancient legends are still preserved among the Indians. Longfellow recorded these tales in The Song of Hiawatha. In this poem, corn is sung in the image of the young man Mondamin (in Indian - maize, corn). "His head is in shiny, Fluttering feathers, The curls are soft, golden, And the outfit is green-yellow. And the summer did not end, As in all splendor, In his expensive attire, In golden soft braids, Tall, slender maize stood up, And Hiawatha exclaimed in admiration: “Mondamin! This is a friend of people, Mondamin!" And later, when the ripened maize turned yellow in autumn, The grains of maize turned yellow, like pearls, He gathered its cobs, Taking dry leaves from it ... "

The Indians eat not only corn grains, but also panicles of the upper staminate flowers, and quite tasty and nutritious soup is prepared from pollen.

In industry, over 150 different products and products are made from corn. The stems are used to produce paper, rayon, insulating material. Linoleum, artificial cork, glue and heels for women's shoes are made from cobs.

Corn. Tips for using the plant

Corn is boiled whole on the cob, without peeling the leaves, in salt water. Quick-frozen vegetables can be put for cooking directly into boiling water without defrosting. The cooking time is reduced by almost half.

All vegetables, potatoes are recommended to be filled with hot water, which promotes rapid protein clotting, which leads to less loss of valuable nutrients and vitamins. During cooking, vegetables in a saucepan should be stirred as little as possible, it is better to shake the dishes slightly, closing the lid tightly. Beans, beans, peas are best soaked in cold water.

A lump of sugar added to the water while boiling vegetables greatly improves the taste of most dishes.

Author: Reva M.L.

Corn (maize), Zea mays. Recipes for use in traditional medicine and cosmetology

Ethnoscience:

• Corn water for diabetes treatment: Pour 2-3 tablespoons of dry corn bogs in 1 liter of water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Leave to brew and strain. Drink the resulting decoction 2-3 times a day to lower blood sugar levels.
• Corn decoction for the treatment of colds: Pour 2-3 tablespoons of dry corn bogs in 1 liter of water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Leave to brew and strain. Drink the resulting decoction 2-3 times a day to relieve cold symptoms such as cough and runny nose.
• Corn broth to improve digestion: Pour 2-3 tablespoons of dry corn bogs in 1 liter of water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Leave to brew and strain. Drink the resulting decoction before meals to improve digestion and reduce inflammation in the intestines.

Cosmetology:

• Corn Cleansing Scrub: mix 2 tablespoons of cornmeal with enough water to make a thick paste. Massage the paste on your face or body for 1-2 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Cornmeal helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and refresh the skin.
• Corn grain face mask: mix 2 tablespoons of cornmeal with enough water to make a thick paste. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Apply the mask on your face for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. The mask helps to moisturize and nourish the skin of the face.
• Corn Hair Conditioner: beat 1 egg, add 2 tablespoons cornmeal and enough water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste to your hair and leave for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Cornmeal helps to soften and moisturize hair, making it smoother and shinier.

Attention! Before use, consult with a specialist!

Corn (maize), Zea mays. Tips for growing, harvesting and storing

Corn, or maize (Zea mays) is one of the most common cereal crops in the world.

Tips for growing, harvesting and storing corn:

Cultivation:

• Corn is best sown in beds in the spring, when the soil warms up to 10-12 °C.
• Seeding depth depends on soil type. In heavy soils, the depth should be less, about 3-5 cm, and in light soils, about 5-8 cm.
• The distance between plants should be about 20-25 cm.
• Corn requires constant watering during the entire growth period and especially during the cob formation period.
• Regular loosening of beds and removal of weeds is necessary to keep the soil in good condition and prevent competition between plants.
• It is recommended to fertilize plants with mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Workpiece:

• Ripe corn is removed from the cob and can be used for food, as well as for making flour, starch and other products.
• Corn leaves can also be used as animal feed.
• Fresh corn can be used in many dishes, including salads, soups, and side dishes.

Storage:

• Fresh corn is best stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
• Dry corn cobs can be stored in a cool and dry place for up to 1 year.
• Flour, starch, and other corn products are also best stored in a cool, dry place to maintain their quality and freshness.

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