Why in news
Argentina’s corn farmers are facing a dangerous new enemy because of global warming: a yellow insect just 4 mm long that thrives in hotter temperatures and is threatening harvests
Corn
Maize also known as corn is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain.
It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte.
Native Americans planted it alongside beans and squashes in the Three Sisters polyculture.
The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears.
The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds
Corn
Maize crop in India is in general grown in Kharif (June to October) season which coincides with rainy season
The top producing states are Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh which together account for over 70% of India's total maize production
Bulk of the maize production in India, approximately 47%, is used as poultry feed.
Rest of the produce is used for: livestock feed, food purpose, industrial purposes, starch industry, processed food, export and other purposes.
IUCN Conservation status : Least concern
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