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The Grass that Feeds Humankind

The Grass that Feeds Humankind. By Manuel Corro . AGED 4713 Fall 2002. Corn Origins and Dispersal to the World . Europe. 5000 B.C. Asia. Africa. 1500 B.C. Maize History. Maize is a gigantic domesticated grass [ Zea mays ssp. mays ] of tropical Mexican origin.

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The Grass that Feeds Humankind

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  1. The Grass that Feeds Humankind By Manuel Corro AGED 4713 Fall 2002

  2. Corn Origins and Dispersal to the World Europe 5000 B.C Asia Africa 1500 B.C

  3. Maize History • Maize is a gigantic domesticated grass [Zea mays ssp. mays] of tropical Mexican origin. • Cultivation of maize and the elaboration of its food products are inextricably bound with the rise of pre-Colombian Mesoamerican civilizations. • Due to its adaptability and productivity the culture of maize spread rapidly around the globe • Spaniards and other Europeans exported the plant from the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. • Maize is currently produced in most countries of the world and is the third most planted field crop (after wheat and rice).

  4. Scientific Classification • Family: Gramineae • Genus: Zea • Species:Mays • There are more than 14 000 varieties of corn. • CIMMYT germplasm bank has 10965 accessions, one third are Mexican. • INIFAP has an additional 570 accessions

  5. Morphology of Maize See the handout

  6. Maize Grain Types • International market classified maize in terms of: color and hardness • Color • 85% yellow-grained • 10-12% white - grained • <10 % red-, purple-, black- grained material • Hardness • 80% dent or semident material • 15% flint or semiflint material • 5% floury maize (Andean zone) and • Waxy maize from China

  7. CIMMYT recognizes 5 major production environments • Lowland tropics • Subtropics • Mid-altitude tropical • Tropical highlands • Temperate zone • Major regions are known as megaenvironments, defined in terms of climatic factors • Mean temperature during growing season • Elevation above sea level • Rainfall • Day length

  8. Distribution of Maize Production Environments, early 1990s

  9. Distribution of World Maize Production

  10. The corn smut is a parasitic fungus that attacks the ears, stalks, and tassels of corn. • Smut galls or swellings are produced, which are used as food in some areas of Mexico, Central and South America • Corn smut in Mexico is known as Huitlacoche

  11. How Important Could the Corn Be in Developing Countries • Without corn millions of people would starve • Millions of small farmers grow corn all over the world

  12. Corn Consumption per capita and corn use in Latin America, 1998 210 kg 117 kg 62 kg 189.4 kg Source: www.cimmyt.org

  13. Corn Research

  14. Growth in maize yields, by region, 1961-97(% average annual growth) Source: CIMMYT 1999

  15. Corn production systems in developing countries • Small Farmers < 20 ha • Mixed Farming • Self consumption • Low technology • Open polinization varieties (OPVs) • No hybrids

  16. How important could the corn be in Mexico? • 70% of grain production • 45 % of rainfed land and 6 % of irrigated land. • 2.7 millions corn growers (68 % of total population employed in agriculture). • Corn yield varies from 1.4 Tons/ha to 5 tons /ha (average=2.4 tons/ha) • 20 million metric tons/year • Small size of land - small yield /ha, small income • White corn the most important

  17. Mexican food based on maize • Dough (masa) • tamales (wrapped with husk or plantain leaf) • with any kind of meat inside prepared with some spices • Tortilla • Enchiladas • Quesadillas • Tacos • Tostadas • Grain • Pozole (hominy soup) with pork and/or chicken meat • Pozol (beverage southern Mexico) • Pinole ( maize flour to prepare other dishes)

  18. How important could the corn be in the U.S.? • 24 % of cropland • 72, 604, 000 acres • 45 % of crop production • $ 20 Billions worth • 40 % of world corn production • 70 % of world exports Source: www.ncga.com

  19. Corn Usage in U.S., 1999 Consumption per capita 133.kg • Corn flakes • soda sweetened w/corn syrup • corn-fed beef • corn-fed Chicken • Pet food Source: www.ncga.com

  20. WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM A BUSHEL OF CORN? • 32 pounds of corn starch or • 33 pounds of corn sweetener or • 2.5 gallons of ethanol PLUS • 1.6 pounds of corn oil • 11.4 pounds of 21% protein gluten feed • 3 pounds of 60% gluten meal • One bushel of corn will sweeten more than 400 cans of soda. Source: www.ncga.com

  21. WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM A BUSHEL OF CORN? • A bushel of corn fed to livestock produces • 5.6 pounds of retail beef or • 13 pounds of retail pork or • 19.6 pounds of chicken or • 28pounds of catfish. Source: www.ncga.com

  22. World supply • Six nations • USA, China, Brazil, Mexico, France, and Argentina produce 75% of the world's maize supply

  23. World Corn Production 2000-2001 FAS.USDA, October 2000

  24. Major Corn producing states • 82% of total production in US is within 6 states • Iowa • Illinois • Nebraska • Minnesota • Indiana • Ohio • Iowa leads the group with 22% of total national production which is 8.5% of total world production, Source: The maize page Iowa State U.

  25. World corn imports Source: www.ncga.com

  26. World Issues about Corn • Trade • Biotechnology • Biodiversity

  27. Biotechnology Crop Science Society of America defines biotechnology research as: • The development of products requiring engineering technologies or using technologies such as recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques for the modification and improvement of biological systems

  28. Biotechnology and Maize • Reasons for applying biotech on maize • Economic importance • Commercial maize growers use hybrids • Maize consumed in most of industrialized countries with sophisticated research systems • Transposons: unusual feature of maize • Jumping genes that have the ability to move from one location to another within the genome, causing mutations.

  29. Applications of biotechnology to maize breeding • Molecular genetics • identify one or more genes that confer a desired characteristics on maize plants and use molecular markers to identify in successive generations of plants that possess the gene or genes of interest • Genetic Engineering • inserting into maize plants and obtain expression of alien genes; these genes may be obtained from other organisms (plants or animals)

  30. Applications of Molecular genetics • Fingerprints: identify DNA • identifying genotypes • Monitoring genetic diversity in breeding materials • Efficient management of genetic resources • Quantitative trait locus mapping (QTL) • Comparative mapping • Marker-assisted selection

  31. Applications of Genetic Engineering • Transgenic maize, • trait genes and gene regulators • Pest-resistance maize • Insertion of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) genes • Herbicide-resistance maize

  32. Any questions ?

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