Abstract

Corn or maize is a crop that originated in Mexico and has spread all over the world as a major food crop. Sustainable production of a corn field crop as grain corn for feed, food and biofuels, as well as sweet corn for fresh market or processing, and as silage for high energy sources, requires scientific management of nutrients along with several other crop management practices such as proper plant population density, timely seeding and harvesting, soil water, weeds and pests control. Corn has become the major item in the diet of many tropical peoples, the main grain used for animal feed in temperate regions, as well as new stocks for many other purposes including recently used as feedstock for biofuels. Rapid expansion of grain based ethanol production in North America, has already caused concern about future food and feed supplies. This important book gathers the latest research from around the world in this dynamic field.