Maize is the world's most widely grown cereal and a dietary staple throughout the Third World, but its full potential has only begun to be tapped. This book thoroughly examines the biological and economic issues relevant to improving the productivity of maize in developing countries. The authors explore a wide range of practical problems, from maxi

Sometime around 1500 AD, an African farmer planted a maize seed imported from the New World. That act set in motion the remarkable saga of one of the world’s most influential crops—one that would transform the future of Africa and of the Atlantic world. Africa’s experience with maize is distinctive but also instructive from a global perspective: experts predict that by 2020 maize will become the world’s most cultivated crop. James C. McCann moves easily from the village level to the continental scale, from the medieval to the modern, as he explains the science of maize production and explores how the crop has imprinted itself on Africa’s agrarian and urban landscapes. Today, maize accounts for more than half the calories people consume in many African countries. During the twentieth century, a tidal wave of maize engulfed the continent, and supplanted Africa’s own historical grain crops—sorghum, millet, and rice. In the metamorphosis of maize from an exotic visitor into a quintessentially African crop, in its transformation from vegetable to grain, and from curiosity to staple, lies a revealing story of cultural adaptation. As it unfolds, we see how this sixteenth-century stranger has become indispensable to Africa’s fields, storehouses, and diets, and has embedded itself in Africa’s political, economic, and social relations. The recent spread of maize has been alarmingly fast, with implications largely overlooked by the media and policymakers. McCann’s compelling history offers insight into the profound influence of a single crop on African culture, health, technological innovation, and the future of the world’s food supply.

Intended for policymakers and scholars, the 15 contributions in this volume are divided into two sections: the first provides six country case studies of the evolving maize economies of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. The second part synthesizes major technological, institutional, and policy issues with chapters on research and extension, soil fertility, seed and fertilizer delivery systems, and marketing and price policy. Paper edition (754-0), $29.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Exploring the history and importance of corn worldwide, Arturo Warman traces its development from a New World food of poor and despised peoples into a commodity that plays a major role in the modern global economy. The book, first published in Mexico i

Corn: Chemistry and Technology, Third Edition, provides a broad perspective on corn from expert agronomists, food scientists and geneticists. This encyclopedic storehouse of comprehensive information on all aspects of the world's largest crop (in metric tons) includes extensive coverage of recent development in genetic modification for the generation of new hybrids and genotypes. New chapters highlight the importance of corn as a raw material for the production of fuel bioethanol and the emerging topic of phytochemicals or nutraceutical compounds associated to different types of corns and their effect on human health, especially in the prevention of chronic diseases and cancer. Written by international experts on corn, and edited by a highly respected academics, this new edition will remain the industry standard on the topic. - Presents new chapters that deal with specialty corns, the production of first generation bioethanol, and the important relationship of corn phytochemicals or nutraceuticals with human health - Provides contributions from a new editor and a number of new contributors who bring a fresh take on this highly successful volume - Includes vastly increased content relating to recent developments in genetic modification for the generation of new hybrids and genotypes - Contains encyclopedic coverage of grain chemistry and nutritional quality of this extensively farmed product - Covers the production and handling of corn, with both food and non-food applications