1. By: Gerrold Austin, Chemberli McClenton, Ife Diallo, & Shonn McCloud
MAIZE GENETICS
By: Gerrold Austin, Chemberli McClenton, Ife Diallo, & Shonn McCloud
Presentation for FACE Program, FAMU & FSU, June , CESTA Teleconference Center, FAMU, Tallahassee, FL

2. History of Maize
Maize (Corn) is the most important cereal in the world after wheat and rice.
Corn is the most widely distributed crop in the world.
The U.S produces half of the world’s total corn.

3. History of Maize Cont. Scientific Name: Zea mays
Common Name: corn, Maize
Family:Poaceae (grass)
Origin: Unknown
Some think that corn originated in Peru, Bolivia,Ecuador,Mexico, and Central America.

4. Structure of Corn
The corn plant has a single stalk at the top of the plant, which is called the tassel. The tassel is the male flower.
The female flowers are found on the ear of the corn plant, which arises at a leaf axil halfway up the stem.

5. Structure of Corn Cont.
The flower organs, and later the grain kernels, are enclosed in layers of papery tissue called husks.
Strands of silk emerge from the ears and husks at the same time the pollen is dispensed from the tassel

6. Varieties of Corn Dent corn Flint corn Flour corn Waxy corn Sweet corn
Popcorn
There are also many many more types of corn.

7. Maize Economics Agricultural Value $20 billion/yr
80 million acres/yr in US
9.5 billion bushels produced
2.5 gallons ethanol/bushel of corn
Corn Products
Sweet corn & vegetable corn
Corn starch, food and industrial
Corn sweeteners, fructose, syrup
Pop corn
Corn meal - chips & tortillas
Feed for animals
(NCGA, US figures, 2001)

8. The Maize Plant Self or Cross Pollinating 200-300 siblings per ear
WC Galinat
Mission Rd field
FSU Biology Dept

9. Habitat
Maize is a gigantic domesticated grass of tropical origin. The plant is used to produce grain and fodder that are the basis of a number of foods, feed, pharmaceutical and industrial manufactures

10. THIS IS THE END OF OUR MAIZE GENETICS PRESENTATION
Thank You for your cooperation

11. Credits We would like to give credit to… Chalonda Jasper Jillian Blair
Dr. Kome Onokpise
Dr. Dreamal Worthern
Chalonda Jasper
Jillian Blair
Earl Hankerson
Dr. Hank Bass
Mr. Ted Willis
The F.A.C.E. program
The Quincy Farm
FAMU & FSU