Corn-or maize-is a domesticated grass dating back to the indigenous people in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. Today, it's the most widely grown crop in the Americas with 332 million metric tons grown annually in the United States alone. Most commercially grown corn has been bred for a standardized height of just over 8 feet tall.
Seed corn is planted in orderly field rows in the early spring. The root system of the plant is shallow, making it susceptible to droughts, intolerant of nutrient-deficient soil, and prone to be uprooted by severe winds. As the plant matures, pale colored silks emerge from each fruit-bearing ear. If the plant is grown for silage, it's harvested while the plant is green and the fruit immature. Grain corn, however, is left standing in the field well into late autumn, allowing the grain to dry thoroughly before being harvested.
Pioneer Hi-Bred founder Henry A. Wallace first began marketing hybrid corn in 1926. At the time, the Pioneer was known as the Hi-Bred Corn Company, and was the first seed company to develop, produce and market hybrid seed corn. The focus was to bring better products to the market that would increase farmer productivity and profitability. Prior to hybrid seed corn, farmers planted open-pollinated varieties. Hybrid corn technology initially got off to a slow start, but in the mid-1930s, two droughts in the United States hastened its adoption as farmers witnessed hybrid corn performed much better than its open-pollinated counterparts.
Today, Pioneer has approximately 80 research stations corn breeding stations around the world and sells hybrid seed corn on six of the seven continents.
At a glance…
Roughly 80 percent of the world's maize is fed to livestock.
An ear contains from 200-400 kernels and is 4-10 inches in length.
The United States produces almost half of the world's harvest. Other top producing countries include China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, India and France. Worldwide production was around 800 million tons in 2007-just slightly more than rice (650 tons) or wheat (600 million tons).
Researchers at Pioneer Hi-Bred continue to develop maize hybrids that create more value and new uses for maize. Some of our product development includes:
Herbicide Resistance – Pioneer Hi-Bred develops hybrids with resistance to herbicides, offering farmers more options for environmentally friendly weed control.
Insect Resistance – Many Pioneer® brand hybrids already possess some resistance to insects that cause economic damage. And we continue to develop products with increased protection from pests and increase levels of resistance directly into the cells of elite maize lines.
Disease Resistance – Pioneer researchers have been concentrating on developing disease-resistant hybrids for more than 50 years in locations where disease pressure is most intense for each pathogen. Future products will have improved resistance to ear mold fungi and other important diseases, and hybrids will soon contain a novel gene that brings a new level of resistance to anthracnose stalk rot, which is a growing concern on corn-after-corn acres.
Value-Added Grains – Hybrids that produce grain adapted for specific end uses continue to show promise for maize growers and processors. Some areas receiving research emphasis are:
- Oil modification
- Extractable starch content
- Protein quality
- Milling characteristics
- Pioneer hybrids that are classified as "HTF" (high total fermentable) have the potential to yield more gallons of ethanol per bushel than other hybrids.
Maize for Feed – Since 1972, Pioneer research programs have included the development of superior maize hybrids for silage. This research effort is focused on traits our customers value, including:
- Development of high oil maize for improved feed rations
- Lowering the phosphorus content in animal waste
- Improving the feeding value
Maize for Food – Researchers developing white maize hybrids produce grain for human consumption in places where demand for high-quality food maize is increasing such as South Africa, Mexico and the United States.
