Crops
Maize
Also Known As Corn The predominant common name in the United States and a handful of other English-speaking countries; most countries primarily use maize.
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The most produced grain on Earth, domesticated in southern Mexico from teosinte, a wild grass so unlike modern corn that the descent was disputed until genetics settled it. Maize fed the civilizations of the Americas, crossed the ocean in the Columbian Exchange, and now feeds livestock, people and industry on every continent.
Facts
Scientific Name Domestication RegionBalsas River valley, southern Mexico 1 Domesticated When (Circa)circa 7000 BC (from teosinte) 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Demonstrated in maize by Shull and East; Jones's double-cross of 1914 to 1917 made hybrid corn practical
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is corn the same thing as maize?
Yes, they are the same crop; corn is the common name used mainly in the United States.
Yes. Maize (Zea mays) and corn name the same cereal crop; most countries primarily use maize, while corn is the everyday name in the United States and a handful of other English-speaking countries. This atlas records both as the same entity, with corn carried as an alternate common name rather than a separate crop.
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