Maize
The names “maize” and “corn” are often used interchangeably and both refer to the same Gramineous plant, Zea mays L. “Corn” is usually preferred over “maize” in food products as it may refer to various products (like corn starch), whereas maize means only that plant.
Origin: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen - Public Domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=255643)
Maize, of Mesoamerican origin, is now cultivated in most parts of the world, under various climatic and soil conditions. It is a versatile crop that requires a compact seedbed free from stubbles and weeds. Maize is sensitive to moisture and salinity stresses and to frost. Under optimal conditions it can return high yields, providing up to a third of the world’s grains. It is a plant whose male and female flowers occur on the same stalk. The pollinated flower develops into ears, each of which contains several hundred kernels arranged in rows. Various maize cultivars require 60-100 days to reach harvest.
The annual global production of maize comes to about 1 billion tons, the main producers being India, USA, Brazil, China and Mexico.
In addition to food for humans (including popcorn and porridge) and quality feed for animals, maize serves as raw material for thousands of industrial products. These include starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, film, textile, gum, package, plastics and paper industries. Maize contains B vitamins, essential minerals and antioxidants.
Several corn cultivars, genetically engineered for pest and disease resistance, are on the market (an example is “Attribute”).
The Maya people of Mesoamerica believed that maize, a major part of their diet, is a vital force with which they strongly identified.
Major maize pests in the Middle East
REFERENCES
Hancock, J.F. 2012. Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species. 3rd ed. CABI, Wallington, UK, pp. 345.
Inglett, G.E. (ed.) 1970. Corn: Culture, Processing, Products. The Avi Publishing Company, Westport, Connecticut, USA, pp. 369.
Ritchie, S.W., Hanway J.J. and Garren, O.B. 1992. How a corn plant develops. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Special Report # 48.
Thompson, J. Eric, S. 1970 . Maya History and Religion. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Pp. 415 +XXX.