| Dent corn | |
|---|---|
 Dent corn is named for its dented kernels. | |
| Species | Zea mays |
| Variety | Zea mays var.indentata |
Dent corn, also known asgrain corn, is a type offield corn with a high softstarch content. It received its name because of the small indentation, or "dent", at the crown of eachkernel on a ripe ear of corn. Reid's Yellow Dent is a variety developed by central Illinois farmer James L. Reid. Reid and his father, Robert Reid, moved fromBrown County, Ohio, toTazewell County, Illinois, in 1846 bringing with them a red corn variety known as "Johnny Hopkins", and crossed it with varieties offlint corn andflour corn.[1] Most of today's hybrid corn varieties and cultivars are derived from it. This variety won a prize at the1893 World's Fair.
Most of the corn grown in the United States today is yellow dent corn[2] or a closely related variety derived from it.[citation needed] Dent corn is the variety used in food manufacturing as the base ingredient forcornmeal flour (used in the baking ofcornbread),corn chips,tortillas, andtaco shells. It is also used to makecorn syrup. Starch derived from this high-starch content variety is turned intoplastics, as well asfructose which is used as a sweetener (high-fructose corn syrup) in many processed foods and soft drinks.
It is also the primary ingredient (51+%) in Kentuckybourbon whiskeymash bills, and is used to makeethanol for industrial use and motor fuel.
The six major types of corn aredent corn,flint corn,pod corn,popcorn,flour corn, andsweet corn.[3]
Dent corn (Zea mays var.indentata) is a fast-growing, vertically erect, short-livedannual plant and is similar to many other varieties ofZea mays.[5] More commonly grown to a height of 2–3 meters (6.6–9.8 ft),Zea mays typically grows with a single, hollow main stem often called a stalk (orculm) which exhibitsinternodes that are cylindrical in the upper part and alternately grooved in the lower part with a bud in the groove. One or occasionally two lateral branches emerge from the leaf axils in the upper part of the plant.[5] Theleaves ofZea mays alternate with broad, sword-shaped leaf blades,parallel veins with a prominent mid-rib, and smallligules.[5] The plant has anadventitious, dense, fibrous root system that develops aerial roots at nodes near the soil surface.[5]
The flowers ofZea mays aremonoecious and are born in separate parts of the plant.[5] The female flower, orear, is aninflorescence that develops fromaxillary budapices several nodes below the stem apex.[5] The male flower, or tassel, develops from the stem apex.[5] Anthers on the tasseldehisce and releasepollen, which is dispersed by the wind (anemophilous).[5] Ears consist of acorncob, orrachis, with rows ofsessilespikelets bearingkernels, orcaryopses. The corncob and kernels are tightly enveloped by several layers of ear leaves commonly calledhusks.[5] The kernels vary from variety to variety, and what distinguishesZea mays var.indentata from other varieties ofZea mays is the small indentation ("dent") that develops at the crown of eachkernel.[5] Comparatively,flint corn has a harder-textured, more rounded kernel that may display a slight depression but not a distinct dent.[6][7]
Dent corn is typically cultivated as arow crop grown commercially for grain and fodder. Cultivars developed for commercial cultivation are either single- or double-cross hybrids bred for special growing areas, soils, or climatic conditions.[5]
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), there are two categories of dent corn hybrids—yellow and white. Yellow dent corn is produced primarily for animal feed and industrial uses such as ethanol and cooking oils.[8] FGIS identifies that "white food corn hybrids are dent corn... are typically contracted and sold to dry-mill processors and used in alkaline cooking processes for making masa, tortilla chips, snack foods, and grits" as well as producing food-grade starch and paper.[9] Dependent on their starch content, some yellow dent corn hybrids are grown and used in the production of food for human consumption.[8]