Introduction to major field crops (1+1)

Importance

Maize grain contains about 71.5 per cent starch, 1.97 per cent sugar, 10.3 per cent protein, 4.8 per cent fat and 1.44 per cent ash. The protein content varies between 6-15 per cent in different strains. Maize is the richest of the cereals in fat, with the exception of oats, and strains of maize may contain as much as 7.0 per cent fat. Maize is poor in Ca but rich in P and K like other cereals. Mg, Na and Cl are very less and Fe is sufficient.

Fig: Maize grain.

Fig: Corn flakes. Fig: Baby corn.

Maize is used as an important ingredient in animal feed. It is a basic ingredient of swine and poultry rations. Maize stover is used as fodder for animals.
Maize starch is used in textile industry,paper industry, oil well drilling, batteries, leather and foods materials. Maize starch is the raw material for sweeteners.The maize syrups and high fructose corn syrups (HFCS) are sold as liquids.
Maize oil is a very fine cooking medium when fully refined with nearly 90 per cent polyunsaturated fats e.g. corn oil. It is only the cereal from which oil can be extracted. Maize oil cakes can be used as organic manure.
Alcohol extracted from maize is used both as a substitute for petrol as being developed in Brazil and as industrial ethyl alcohol.Bio-degradable plastics made by co-polymerizing organic (starch) and synthetic polymers are already in use for agriculture and other purposes.