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The Basics Of Maize
Farmer's Weekly
|Farmer's Weekly 23 March 2018
Also known as corn, maize was first domesticated in southern Mexico nearly 10 000 years ago. Many varieties have been bred to suit a range of conditions.
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Maize (Zea mays) is today the most widely grown grain crop, with global production standing at just over one billion tons. This is 38% of total grain production, which amounts to 2,6 billion tons. (Wheat comes in second at about 750 million tons, and rice third at about 480 million tons). In 2017, South African maize production was 17,5 million tons, an all-time record for the country.
Maize is a warm-weather crop; it is unsuitable for areas with a mean daily temperature of below 19°C, or where the mean summer temperature falls below 23 °C.
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