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All About Corn

Overview

Corn, also known as maize in many parts of the world, is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica as many as 10,000-12,000 years ago. Approximately 3,500 years ago, cultivation of this crop spread rapidly throughout the Americas and had become a food staple of most of these regions by the 15th century.

Corn production made another advance with the development of hybrid corn in the early 1890s. U.S. farmers now produce at least 20 percent more corn on 25 percent fewer acres than in 1930, when seed hybrid corn became available in quantity to American farmers. About 95 percent of U.S. corn acreage now is planted to hybrid corn.

Today, corn is widely cultivated throughout the world, grown on every continent except Antarctica. More corn is harvested each year than any other grain, with more than 40 percent produced in the United States.

The primary use of corn in the United States and Canada is as feed for livestock while a relatively small portion is served up for human consumption or used in food preparation. The use of corn for the production of ethanol continues to grow at a rapid pace.

Did you know?

  • An ear of corn averages 800 kernels in 16 rows, and most commercial corn stalks produce a single ear.
  • In the U.S., the amount of corn produced is more than double that of any other grain.
  • A bushel of corn, weighing about 56 pounds, when fed to livestock produces 5.6 pounds of retail beef, 13 pounds of retail pork, 19.6 pounds of chicken or 28 pounds of catfish.
  • A bushel of corn can produce 32 pounds of starch or 33 pounds of sweetener or 2.7 gallons of ethanol, plus 1.5 pounds of corn oil.

Monsanto's Work with Corn
Monsanto has been improving corn hybrids for farmers for more than a decade through its biotechnology and breeding efforts. Biotechnology-based enhancements offer farmers consistent, in-plant protection from insects and herbicides. In 2003 we introduced stacked traits, enabling farmers to control multiple insect pests in a single seed.

North American farmers are increasingly choosing Monsanto's complete package of high-yielding hybrids and stacked combinations of the latest biotechnology traits. Monsanto's share of the branded corn seed market continues to increase significantly.

Note: Materials for this essay were drawn from multiple sources. For more information, readers are encouraged to explore this Monsanto Internet site as well as the following sites: