Corn is perceived as the most ordinary, widespread plant. The problem is that it cannot grow and multiply independently in the wild - human intervention is required. How did the plant appear in this case and what is the reason for its poor survival in nature?
The subtleties of corn reproduction
Corn (or maize, the common name for a crop worldwide) cannot reproduce on its own for a number of reasons. First, the grains hold firmly on the cob. It takes a lot of effort to clear the ear. They are also additionally protected by leaves. Thus, corn grains do not fall to the ground on their own.
People deliberately tried to give the plant such properties in order to minimize crop losses. It is worth paying tribute to the selection of this culture. If the whole ear is on the ground, germination of the grains still remains impossible. Gradually, it simply rots due to the high level of humidity. With it, and grain.
If we assume that the corn grains nevertheless somehow end up in the earth in a natural way, will they sprout in this case? When a large number of grains are placed in the soil in one place, their germination is quite possible. However, the sprouts that have broken through will actively compete with each other for water, the nutrients necessary for further development.Most of them will die as a result of the lack of these substances.
Thus, in the wild it is impossible to meet corn. Researchers today fail to pinpoint where corn came from.. There are only a few hypotheses of its origin.
Interesting fact: Indians considered corn a sacred plant, worshiped it, arranged feasts, created various figures of gods. This is evidenced by numerous finds, as well as drawings left by ancient tribes.
History of Corn and Origin Theory
The birthplace of culture is South and Central America. Since ancient times, the local population was engaged in its cultivation. Moreover, scientists consider corn to be the most ancient plant from which bread can be made. During archaeological excavations in Peru, corn cobs were discovered. This find dates back to 5 millennium BC.
On the territory of Mexico, archaeologists in the 50s found 750 ears, which were located at a depth of 70 m. The age of this find is about 10 thousand years. She points out that people were engaged in the cultivation of corn even earlier. The cobs found were much smaller than modern varieties, as were grains. Leaves covered them only a third.
Scientists have identified several basic hypotheses for the origin of corn. The oldest, but still existing assumption is that people selected plants similar to modern corn from the wild.
There are several wild species that have much in common with modern culture.For example, membranous corn. This plant contains grains, each of which is protected by a film. The difference between this species and modern corn lies in only one gene. Subsequent varieties of corn appeared already with the participation of man. Corn in its current form arose due to the hybridization of several species.
Interesting fact: There is no single answer to the question about the origin of corn. Scientists have not been able to find the exact progenitor of the plant, since many different genes were found in it. It turned out to establish only the place from which the spread of culture began - the state of Puebla in Mexico.
Corn does not breed in the wild, as this process requires human involvement. The grains hold firmly on the cob. When falling to the ground, the ears gradually rot with the grains. Even if a handful of seed is in the soil, the sprouts will compete with each other for water and nutrients, resulting in death.
