ABSTRACT
Introduction Maize (Zea mays L.), a native tropical crop from America, has served as basic food for humanity for centuries. It is one of the oldest domesticated plants and its origins are dated more than 7,000 years ago from Central Mexico. There, the Mesoamerican natives adapted this crop from a wild grass to a productive food source (Abbassian 2006). Currently, maize is well adapted to different climates with a wide range of maturities from 70 days to 210 days (Belfi eld and Brown 2008). Maize can be produced in both hemispheres; the northern hemisphere from April through November and the southern from September through May. Maize is the world’s third largest cultivated crop after wheat and rice, and the fi rst, most harvested cereal crop worldwide. In 2009, the reported world production was 818 million tons (see Table 1) (FAOSTAT 2012). Moreover, the United States is currently the world’s largest, producer, consumer, and exporter of maize (Abbassian 2006).
