A Minimal Bibliography of Maize

Corn and Corn Improvement. 3d Edition. 1988. G. F. Sprague and J. W. Dudley, Eds. Amer. Soc. Agronomy.

For technical readers requiring encyclopedic treatment of maize history, breeding and production, this is the best starting point.

Corn and Culture in the Prehistoric New World. 1994. S. Johannessen and C. A. Hastorf. Westview Press.

A review of what we know about how corn was domesticated, and how we know it. Includes interpretations of how corn domestication influenced the development of aboriginal American societies.

Corn and its Early Fathers. 1988. H. A. Wallace and W. L. Brown. Iowa State University Press.

The definitive story, told by people who lived it or made it happen, of how open-pollinated populations of maize were maintained and improved by midwestern farmers, and eventually served as the source for the inbreds used to produce today's hybrids.

Corn Chemistry and Technology. 1987. S. A. Watson and P. E. Ramstad. Amer. Assoc. Cereal Chemists.

Emphasizes information useful for harvesting and processing corn grain for food and industrial purposes.

Ecofisiología del Cultivo de Maíz. 1996. F. Andrade, A. Cirilo, S. Uhart and M. Otegui. Dekalb Press (Argentina)

One of only two current book-length treatments of the physiology of maize (for the other see Physiologie et production du maïs below). This is a strong technical overview of current knowledge about the special ecological dynamics existing in stands of maize managed for high productivity. Features particularly lucid discussion of grain yield definition and source/sink relationships. Contributors feature the foremost maize researchers of Argentina.

How a Corn Plant Develops.1992. S. Ritchie and J. J. Hanway. Iowa State University Cooperative Extension Service.

A widely utilized illustrated guide to staging maize plant growth.

The Maize Handbook. 1994. M. Freeling and V. Walbot, Eds. Springer-Verlag.

This is the essential guide to working with the maize plant, providing detailed but succinct advice on such diverse topics as: molecular techniques, laboratory protocols, field procedures and how to photograph the plant. Also includes its own list of essential maize reading, with a marked emphasis on genetics and breeding.

Maize in the Third World. 1996. C. R. Dowswell, R. L. Paliwal and R. P. Cantrell. Westview Press.

Authored by an authority in African agricultural development, and two former directors of CIMMYT's Maize Research Program, this is a current assessment of the place of maize in the world economy, and the prospects for conservation of genetic resources and further improvement of maize research and production systems in the third world. Special attention is given to the uses of maize in developing countries, and the highlight of the treatment is a group of country case studies, including China, Brazil (the world's most important maize producers, aside from the U. S.), Ghana, Zimbabwe, Thailand and Guatemala.

Maydica. Serial publication, Vol. 1 initiated in 1956, ISSN: 0025-6153. U. S. Catalog of Congress call number: SB191.C8A1M4. U. S. Editor: Dr. P. A. Peterson.

This is a journal dedicated to maize (and "allied cereals"). An interesting feature of the journal is that periodically an issue will be dedicated to examination of the contributions of recognized workers in the field. Such issues are an important source of retrospective, interpretive and synthetic information.

Modern Corn Production. 3d Edition. 1986. S. R. Aldrich, W. O. Scott and R. G. Hoeft. A & L Publications.

For the production-minded, provides practical information for management, providing just enough complexity and scientific information to explain but not bewilder. Color photographs and well designed charts help to enhance the content.

Mutants of Maize. 2nd Edition. 1995. M. G. Neuffer, E. H. Coe and S. Wessler. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

An essential illustrated catalog of the major mutants of maize. Valuable updated genetics maps are included. View preview of mutant images from the Maize DB server.

National Corn Production Handbook. 1991. G. O. Benson, Ed. Iowa State University Cooperative Extension Service.

A compilation of brief, but authoritative extension publications covering every facet of corn production in the U. S. corn belt. Updated annually.

Physiologie et production du maïs. La vie du maïs. 1990. D. Picard. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (France).

One of only two current book-length treatments of the physiology of maize, including carbon and nitrogen metabolism, assimilate translocation, and stress adaptation, all examined by developmental stage.

Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding. 1981. A. R. Hallauer and J. B. Miranda. Iowa State University Press.

A textbook dealing with the breeding and population improvement techniques peculiar to the unique genetic and reproductive mechanisms of maize.

Shucks, Shocks and Hominy Blocks. 1981. N. Hardeman. Louisiana State University Press.

A history documenting how the culture of corn made possible the westward expansion of U. S. pioneers, and the eventual development of the modern industrial nation.

The Structure and Reproduction of Corn. 1949 (1st book printing 1980). T. A. Kiesselbach. University of Nebraska Press.

This little jewel provides the basic anatomic vocabulary required by anyone seeking to understand how the corn plant works.

Ricardo J. Salvador