Lecture 6: Tropical Maize

Question 1

ploidy of corn

Answer 1

2n=20

Question 2

corn scientific name

Answer 2

Zea mays L.

Question 3

rice, wheat, and maize provide _______ calories consumed by humans

Answer 3

> 50%

Question 4

major types of corn

Answer 4

dent, flint, pop, and sweet corn

Question 5

how is type of corn determined

Answer 5

related to the types of starch in grain

Question 6

dent corn scientific name

Answer 6

zea mays var indentata

Question 7

flint corn scientific name

Answer 7

zea mays var indurata

Question 8

pop corn scientific name

Answer 8

zea mays var everata

Question 9

sweet corn scientific name

Answer 9

zea mays var saccharata or rugosa

Question 10

what is maize a good source of and what is it deficient in

Answer 10

good source of carbohydrates, some vitamins
deficient in amino acids lysine and tryptophan

Question 11

what is maize used for

Answer 11

ethanol/fuel
feed
exports
food
residual

Question 12

what is quality protein maize

Answer 12

high in lysine and oil content, low in phytic acid, and micronutrient dense

Question 13

maize end uses in africa

Answer 13

mainly human consumption

Question 14

what is the most important cereal crop in subSaharan Africa

Answer 14

maize (flint)

Question 15

where and when was corn domesticated

Answer 15

mexico around 9000BC

Question 16

________ is the ancestor of modern corn

Answer 16

teosinte

Question 17

which plant (maize or teosinte) produces more branches or more ears per plant

Answer 17

teosinte

Question 18

ear structure of teosinte and corn

Answer 18

teosinte = 2 rows of seeds
Corn = 8-12 rows of seeds (600-800 kernals per ear)

Question 19

what are teosinte seeds covered by

Answer 19

fruitcase

Question 20

where is the fruitcase in corn

Answer 20

part of the corn cob

Question 21

who discovered that the change from a hard kernel to soft in corn was due to 1 gene

Answer 21

dr. Lewis Lukens

Question 22

t/f: corn is monoecious and cross pollinate

Answer 22

t

Question 23

what is the male inflorescence of maize called and where is it located

Answer 23

tassel branch at top of plant

Question 24

what is the female inflorescence of maize called and where is it located

Answer 24

silks at ears of plant

Question 25

what is yield of corn characterized by

Answer 25

number of cobs per acre, number of kernels per cobs, kernel mass

Question 26

why is hybrid corn better than open pollinated varieties

Answer 26

produce better quality grain/forage and higher yield
higher resistance to pests and lodging
2 large ears with lots of kernels
produces similar plants

Question 27

corn adaptations to tropics

Answer 27

C4 photosynthesis
short day varieties
temp accelerates growth and life cycle

Question 28

what disease in corn is considered a delicacy

Answer 28

corn smut

Question 29

corn production constraints in the tropics

Answer 29

1. low yield related to supra-optimal temperature
2. water deficits
3. inefficient dry matter redistribution

Question 30

what does a green seeder do

Answer 30

makes farming easier, more precis, more productive, and safer for poor farmers