1. CORN: The aMAIZEing Grain!

2. Corn is rooted in history
Corn was first grown 7,000 years ago in the area now known as Mexico.

3. Many Native American cultures were
centered around corn and agriculture.

4. Indian corn
Corn grown by the Native Americans looked more similar to this “Indian Corn” than what we grow for food and feed today. Corn seeds can be different colors: yellow, white, red, blue.

5. Varieties of Corn There are 4 primary varieties of Zea mays.
Field Corn (Dent)
Sweet Corn
Flint Corn
Popcorn

6. Field Corn High Starch Content, Low Sugar Content
Mature Seeds – Low Moisture (~15%)
Can be stored for long periods of time at the correct moisture.
99% of corn grown in the US is Field Corn
Most versatile – used for food, livestock feed, distillation, and industrial ingredients.

7. Sweet Corn Higher Sugar Content within Starch
Harvested 60 to 100 days after planting when kernels have 75% moisture; corn silks have dried, but shuck is still tight and green.
Requires higher level of care to maintain quality.
Can be frozen or canned for prolonged storage.

8. Popcorn Small, translucent kernels with hard shell High-density starch
Ideal moisture content for popping is 13.5%

9. The Science of Popcorn
"Slowmotion popcorn" by At09kg - Wikipedia
When heated to boiling point, the moisture inside a popcorn kernel turns to steam. The steam cooks the starch and builds pressure until breaking point.

10. Flint Corn Hard, dense starch Used most often as decorations
Preferred corn type for hominy and grits

11. From Seed to Plant
April – August
120 Days

12. Germination: Corn is a monocot, meaning it has one leaf in its embryo
Germination: Corn is a monocot, meaning it has one leaf in its embryo. All grasses and major grains belong to the monocot family.

13. Planting Corn
A mechanical planter is used to place the seeds in the soil between 1.5 and 2 inches deep.

15. Ready for harvest
Farmers begin to harvest their field corn when it is below 30% moisture. It must be dried further before storage.
Some farmers may leave corn in their fields until late fall or early winter. If the ground is too wet, they will wait until the soil can support harvesting equipment.

16. A combine harvests the corn from the fields
A combine harvests the corn from the fields. This one machine takes the corn cobs off the stalks and the kernels off the cob.

17. Loading corn for storage
Corn can be stored in a grain bin until it is ready to go to market. Farmers who have storage may hold onto corn until they receive a good price.

18. Field Corn Production

19. Kentucky Corn
Kentucky typically ranks 13th to 15th in state corn production, now producing more than 200 million bushels per year on 1.5 million acres.
The top corn producing counties are:
Union
Henderson
Davies
Christian
Graves
Top 13 corn producing states. – Why is Texas included?… more available land to grow corn.

20. Where Does Ky Corn Go?
Kentucky’s location on the Ohio River (and the Mississippi River in far western Kentucky) provides Kentucky farmers access to export markets.

21. Livestock & Poultry Feed
At least 70 million bushels of Kentucky corn is fed to livestock each year.
Poultry (broilers and layers) alone consume about 40 million bushels annually.

22. Food, starch, & Beverage
Kentucky also has a number of food processors and distillers in the state that use corn. Corn starch can also be extracted to be used in a number of industrial products.

23. Ethanol Ethanol is a fuel that is most often made from corn in the US.
Ethanol is a renewable source of energy and reduces motor emissions.
Kentucky has one corn-based ethanol plant in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. It produces 33 million gallons of ethanol a year.

24. Components of a Corn Kernel
60% Starch
20% Protein & Fiber
4% Oil
16% Water

25. Uses of Corn
There are more than different products that contain corn-based ingredients.

26. Snack Foods Cereals Jams & Jellies Sauces Sodas and Beverages
Food Uses
Snack Foods
Cereals
Jams & Jellies
Sauces
Sodas and Beverages

27. Industrial Uses Cosmetics Medicines Printing Inks Soaps Toothpaste
Batteries
Rubber Tires
Shoe Polish
Paper Products
Paints & Dyes
Adhesives
Plastics
Detergents
Crayons
Fireworks
Lubricants
Body Lotions
Linoleum
Corn Starch or Corn Starch Derivatives
Corn Oil Both

28. Corn Plastics
PLA or Polylactic Acid is a corn-based polymer that has properties similar to plastic.
As a fiber, it is similar to polyester.
PLA could replace many products that are currently made with petroleum, but cost is a factor.

29. Molded foam
Molded foam for shipping can be made from corn starch. It is completely biodegradable and anti-static. It even comes in fun colors for craft projects.

30. Corn Board
Corn board is made with corn stover, which is the left over stalks after the grain has been harvested.
It has been used for furniture, building materials, and skate boards.

31. Learn more By Visiting www.kycorn.org
Produced by Kentucky Agriculture & environment in the classroom ©2016