ABSTRACT
Maize is one of the most important crops in the world, regardless of how one measures ‘importance’. As a graminaceous plant that produces grain and silage in amounts and nutritive value competitive with other crop plants in the Poaceae, which can be grown under an amazing variety of climates and variations within climates, maize deserves the attention it has received from scientists dedicated to maximizing yields under current and future conditions. The term ‘cultivar’ is used in this chapter as a general label for maize hybrids, inbreds, open-pollinated varieties and tropical accessions per Baldwin and Barker (1970).
