Corn is an amazing plant. If in our country it is not used very actively - most often as a rare delicacy, then in many others it has become a symbol of wealth, salvation from hunger. And this applies not only to poor countries - for example, in many US states it is as familiar a side dish as pasta or buckwheat with us. And the origin of corn is a very interesting topic, which will be useful to reveal. After all, this plant has traveled a lot throughout the world for its long history.
Description of appearance
Before telling about the history of the origin of corn, we briefly describe its appearance.
This is an annual herbaceous plant with tall - sometimes up to four meters - stems. The root system is very powerful. Its development depends on environmental conditions. If there is enough moisture, then the roots are mainly located at a shallow depth. But if the soil is depleted and moisture is not enough, corn may well deepen the roots by a meter and a half.
The leaves are quite large - long, but narrow. The maximum length reaches one meter, while the width rarely exceeds ten centimeters. The number also varies greatly - from 8 to 42.
The fruits are cobs - large, tightly wrapped in leaves. On their upper part is the so-called stigma - several soft tangled plant fibers. One ear can consist of a thousand grains, but usually their number is much smaller. The mass in some cases reaches half a kilogram.
Where did she first appear?
To date, it has been possible to fairly accurately determine the homeland of corn. It would be interesting to learn about the origin of culture to many of its fans. So, it is believed that they first learned about it in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. It was here that they cultivated it and began not only to collect, but to purposefully grow it.
True, the then corn is very different from the one that is familiar to us. Still, for many centuries, European breeders have worked to improve the breed, so that we can see the elegant cobs weighing several hundred grams. Then the cobs were much more modest - their length rarely exceeded four to five centimeters.
Domesticated corn about nine thousand years ago! A very serious period - very few plants can boast such an impressive history. Pretty soon, its grains gained popularity. Corn was grown easily and without much care, while providing hosts with nutritious, satisfying grains.
It is not surprising that quite quickly it gained popularity not only among the Indian tribes living in Mexico. If the North American Indians rarely engaged in agriculture - only a few tribes out of many tens took the trouble to grow corn on their own, and not to collect wild plants - then in South America this culture has become one of the most important.
The Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs - these South American Indian tribes were actively engaged in agriculture, sowed large areas with valuable culture, guaranteeing prosperity and protection from hunger. Corn not only could grow in a climate difficult for other plants - its grains could also be stored for many years without losing nutritional properties. In conditions when bad weather and crop failure are possible, this guaranteed the survival of ordinary peasants. It was no coincidence that even a separate god, Shilonen, was singled out as the patron saint of corn. This already shows how seriously the South American Indians took this valuable grain crop. Of course, various legends and myths were written, telling about the secrets of the origin of corn.
There are even several varieties that differ in terms of ripening. For example, the early one, bearing fruit already two months after the first sprouts appeared, was called the “cockerel song”. Another variety, ripened in three months, was called "corn-girl". Finally, the latest ripe variety, ripening for six to seven months, was called "old corn."
Due to good productivity and unpretentiousness, the plant gained widespread distribution, settling quite far from its place of origin. Corn is now grown not only in its homeland, but also in Europe and the former Soviet Union.
How did she get to Europe
The reader now knows how this valuable culture spread across the two continents of America. It's time to tell briefly about the history of the origin of corn in Europe. More precisely, the history of its development and cultivation.
By the way, it is worth noting that in South America this familiar culture is called maize. And in many countries of Europe this name, a little unusual for our compatriots, was adopted. However, we will return to this issue a bit later.
For the first time, corn (maize) came to Europe in 1496. It was brought in by Christopher Columbus himself, who saw an unusual, but obviously very valuable plant and decided to study it more closely.
Quite quickly, local farmers appreciated the merits of the new culture. Corn began to be actively grown in Spain, Portugal, France. To the north, it did not receive much distribution - the harsh climate did not allow the corn of that time to ripen. Already much later, thanks to the efforts of breeders, it was possible to develop varieties resistant to low temperatures. Of course, it did not become such a popular crop as wheat and rye in Europe. However, the fact that today it is corn that is the third most popular cereal in the world already speaks volumes!
Corn in our country
What do the inhabitants of Russia know about the origin of corn ? Many will surely recall the Secretary-General of the USSR Khrushchev and his calls to actively cultivate the “queen of the fields” on all collective farms of the country. However, you should not think that it was at this time that culture came to Russia. It happened much earlier. More specifically, in our country they learned about corn at the end of the eighteenth century. Then came the name familiar to our ears. We will tell you more about this.
Russia, as you know, regularly fought with Turkey and regularly won victories. Take at least the eighteenth century - in just one century, four wars took place. According to the results of the penultimate of them, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, Russia received Crimea as an indemnity. Turkish peasants were actively growing corn here - the climate was favorable. The culture turned out to be very promising and interested many experts.
Now about the title. In Turkey, maize was called cocorosis - a "tall plant." Not too familiar to the Slavic ear, this term has been slightly changed - to the well-known "corn". First, this name was fixed in the Balkans - in Serbia, Bulgaria and other countries occupied by Turkey. From here it came to our country.
Still, culture did not get wide distribution in Russia. Yes, it is grown in the southern regions and even in the central ones. However, in the north, the climate was too unpredictable, so these lands remained the patrimony of more familiar crops - rye, oats, wheat.
And in general, in our country, popcorn, which is loved and almost worshiped in many countries of the world, has not really taken root. Boiled corn is usually eaten only during the season, and canned corn is often used in the preparation of salads.
Useful qualities
We figured out the origin of corn. The plant has a lot of useful properties that are worth talking about.
To begin with, its grains contain a number of important trace elements and vitamins. First of all, these are vitamins C, D, B, K, as well as PP. Of the trace elements are nickel, copper, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.
As scientists have shown, a person who regularly consumes corn for food significantly reduces the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. After all, the body receives not only useful trace elements, but also fiber, as well as dietary fiber. Therefore, the metabolic processes increase in the body, which favorably affects the immune system and human health in general.
It is also believed that the use of corn by older people can improve vision. However, you need to be careful in choosing the right variety. Indeed, today various varieties are actively grown, each of which has a certain function and, accordingly, a certain composition. If you want to improve or just keep your eyesight, it is very important to choose a cob that has delicate yellow grains that have reached milky-wax ripeness. Overripe, as well as white (usually fodder varieties) does not contain the necessary vitamins, so it will not bring benefits.
Corn oil can also be of great benefit. It is extracted from the germ of corn kernels.
Crude oil is used in the prevention of atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes and many other serious diseases. Take it a little - three times a day immediately before meals in the amount of 25 grams in one session. Due to this, the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood decreases, overall health improves, and sleep becomes deeper and stronger.
So it’s worth recognizing: this is a really valuable culture, the correct use of which allows you to get rid of many diseases or at least ease their course, which is not always possible even when using powerful and expensive drugs.
Possible harm
The reader now knows more about the origin of corn. Culture, alas, has not only useful properties, but also negative ones, which are very important to know about. Otherwise, an exacerbation of some chronic diseases can be provoked. So corn will only bring harm instead of the expected benefits.
To begin with, the lion's share of corn grown today is genetically modified. Perhaps its regular eating does not have any unpleasant consequences, but the question has not been fully studied. It is no coincidence that many scientists sound the alarm about this, accusing GMOs of a sharp increase in the number of diseases such as obesity, allergies and others.
But even ordinary corn can cause serious harm to human health. For example, it should not be used by people suffering from diseases affecting the duodenum and stomach. Its use leads to bloating, and this negatively affects the health of the patient.
Also, its use should be abandoned to people who have problems with thrombophlebitis and increased blood clotting. The substances that make up the corn grains may well affect this process, provoking an exacerbation.
People suffering from excessively low body weight should also refrain from eating corn. It reduces appetite, which is why it is often used in various diets. But at the same time, corn oil should not be consumed by people suffering from obesity - nevertheless, it is quite high-calorie and can lead to more rapid weight gain.
Finally, a simple allergy to corn and its components is a contraindication.
Cooking use
Today, this culture is popular all over the world, including very far from the country of origin of corn. No wonder - it is used in a variety of spheres of human activity.
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is ordinary eating. Indeed, the plant is quite tasty and, as already managed to find out, useful. Many salads include canned corn. Yes, and just to enjoy cobs with sweet, delicate milk grains, few will refuse.
In the USA, boiled or baked ears are often served as a side dish. In many countries of Latin America, corn bread and tortillas are still very popular - wheat and rye are not so common there. In addition, corn has become the basis for many national dishes, for example, the Romanian mamalyga - corn porridge. Well, cornflakes and sticks have long been a favorite treat of many children.
Other uses
However, not all farmed corn is used only for food. Take, for example, the United States: it is this country that grows most of this crop. No more than 1% of corn goes to food.
Another 85% is used as a feed base in animal husbandry. Not surprisingly, grains allow you to perfectly feed animals and birds, helping them gain weight before slaughter. In addition, stems and leaves are used - the best silage is made from them, which is a good top dressing for farm animals in the cold season. By the way, the lion's share of corn grown in Russia also goes to silage.
And the rest of the corn grown in the United States is used for technical purposes. It is distilled into technical alcohol, which can be used as high-quality fuel.
Corn stigmas are used in medicine - they have diuretic and choleretic properties.
And even this is not limited to the scope of corn. For example, in Transcarpathia, exquisite napkins, hats, and women's handbags are made from leaves. And in Vietnam, carpets woven by local maids from corn are still popular.
Also, stems are used as building material in poor regions of the Earth. And the ash from the burnt stems is a highly effective fertilizer.
So it is not surprising that the ancient Indians explained the origin of corn on Earth by the intervention of the gods - it is difficult to find the sphere of human activity where this plant would not be involved.
Growing corn
In our country, corn is usually sown in the early to mid-May, when the threat of night frost is completely over. If the goal is to obtain grain rather than silage, then the planting pattern is approximately 60 x 70 or 70 x 70 centimeters. Otherwise, stronger shoots will crush the weak neighbors. The optimal sowing depth is 5-10 centimeters.
Ripening periods fluctuate significantly - primarily depending on the variety. But in most varieties, the crop is harvested 60-80 days after sowing.
An important advantage is the ease of care. In fact, the main requirement for corn is a sufficient amount of light and heat - it does not tolerate frosts well. Which is understandable, given the origin of corn - the birthplace of culture, as already mentioned, is sunny Mexico. But it is very resistant to drought thanks to a powerful root system that can lift moisture from a depth of a meter and even more. Also, the root system allows you to grow and bear fruit well even on depleted soils. Although, of course, if the cultivation is on fresh, land rich in nutrients, the yield increases dramatically - all the nutrients will be used to form leaves and fruits, and not the development of the root system.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. Now you know the story of the origin of corn. For children and adults, this can be quite interesting. And at the same time, we learned about the areas of its application, useful and harmful properties.