Volume 3 | Number 4 Article 5

10-1-1942 Waxy Corn a New Crop G. F. Sprague State College

R. M. Hixon Iowa State College

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Recommended Citation Sprague, G. F. and Hixon, R. M. (1942) "Waxy Corn a New Crop," Farm Science Reporter: Vol. 3 : No. 4 , Article 5. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/farmsciencereporter/vol3/iss4/5

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Farm Science Reporter by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sprague and Hixon: Waxy Corn a New Crop

B y G . F . SPRAGUE a n d R. M. HIXON

duces more than 2 billion bushels of corn annually and Iowa with crops of over 500 million bushels, obviously this new crop cannot be used profitably by many farmers. But for a limited number it may pay well because the substitute for is needed badly. In 1936 small quantities of flint, flour, dent, pop, sweet and waxy corn were milled and studies made of the resulting . Their physical characteristics were quite similar, except for the waxy which closely resembled tapioca rather than ordinary cornstarch. Pastes of waxy starch are viscous and relatively transparent in ap­ pearance. Upon standing they do not set to a stiff gel, as will other unmodified starches. Added to these interesting properties is the attractive possibility that hybrid waxy com would provide starches of greater uniformity and ease of standardization than imported tap­ ioca starch. Although waxy com has been known for many years, it has al­ WAXY CORN ways been grown on a very limited scale. The plants of waxy com cannot be distinguished from or­ dinary corn. Ears of waxy com a N ew G*j04X appear to be somewhat more star­ chy than ordinary com. The only safe way to distinguish between the HEN took the Neth- can replace tapioca starch for some two types, however, is by staining. W erland East Indies, we not purposes and a considerable quan­ Ordinary cornstarch stains blue 6nly lost our main supply of rubber tity of waxy will be mill­ with iodine solution, whereas waxy and tin, but also our tapioca starch. ed in 1942. Waxy types are also cornstarch stains a reddish brown. “So what?” you may wonder. known in barley, and rice. Dr. G. N. Collins of the U.S.D.A. “ Can’t we get along without tapi­ It is not possible at this time to made a special study of the waxy oca pudding?” We can, but most predict the relative importance of character and in 1909 reported that o f the tapioca starch we imported the several waxy cereals in replac­ it was inherited as a simple genetic wasn’t for pudding—it was used in ing tapioca starch. recessive. For a number of years the manufacture of gums, mucil­ If waxy corn were used to supply this character was used extensively ages, adhesives, wood glues and for all markets formerly met by tapi­ by those interested in inheritance cloth and paper sizings. We need oca, it would require more than problems in corn. In 1926 Brink that kind of starch and we have 10 million bushels of this com an­ and Abegg of the Wisconsin station been importing about 350 million nually. The price of tapioca starch reported that normal and waxy pounds each year. varies with the grade. Since 1930 cornstarch had different physical Perhaps the most promising sub­ the price of tapioca flour, the cheap­ properties. stitute is the cornstarch made from est grade of such starch, has been On the basis of actual tests car­ waxy com. Waxy corn isn’t ex­ consistently around one-half cent ried out by several manufacturers actly a new crop—the a pound less than that of corn­ of adhesives, paper sizings and food Department of Agriculture got its starch. products, it was apparent that first sample of it in 1908 from a Of course, for a nation that pro­ waxy starch could be substituted missionary in . It is rather unlikely that waxy It’s the Probable Answer to Our Loss of corn will be the sole substitute for tapioca starch. Sweet Tapioca From the Netherland East Indies 10

Published by Iowa State University Digital Repository, 1942 1 Farm Science Reporter, Vol. 3 [1942], No. 4, Art. 5

for tapioca in most of its important and 1943, sufficient double-cross of these two types could well be industrial uses. Before waxy com waxy hybrid can be available useless from the starch consumers’ could compete as a starch source, by 1944 to plant the entire acreage standpoint. To avoid any diffi­ however, it was necessary to de­ required to produce the 350 million culties arising from these two types velop strains with better yielding pounds of waxy starch necessary of mixtures it seems likely that ability. The waxy strains used by to replace completely the tapioca waxy com will be produced under the geneticist were low in yield and starch previously imported. contract in restricted localities. had small which were often The commercial plantings of red or blue in color. Rather than waxy com in 1942, totaling 326 Until we have more knowledge attempt to develop satisfactory in- acres, were made from advanced concerning isolation and pro­ bred lines from such material, it generation seed of a double-cross. duction problems, our waxy was decided to introduce the waxy The use of such seed is normally corn stocks will not be released character into some of our standard discouraged because of its decreas­ for general production. lines by means of backcrossing. ed yieldnig ability, but now it is When one speaks of 350 million The majority of this work was done necessary to produce the largest pounds of starch it is an impressive- by Dr. Merle T. Jenkins of the amount of seed in the shortest sounding figure. When this is con­ U. S. Department of Agriculture. period of time. The increase from verted to the acreage required to Each of the four inbred lines in­ the 1942 commercial plantings will produce this amount of starch, volved in Iowa 939 were crossed provide the first milling test of however, the figure is much less with a waxy strain. The resulting waxy com on a commercial scale. impressive, because it will require hybrid was then crossed back to The 1943 commercial plantings will roughly only 300,000 acres. This the original inbred line. Back- be made in part from first genera­ acreage estimate is based on the crossing to the original line was tion double-crossed seed and in part assumptions of a yield of 40 bushels continued through seven or more from advanced generation seed. per acre and 30 pounds of starch generations. Tests were made in The production of waxy corn on per bushel. each backcrossed generation to in­ a commercial scale will present The extent to which waxy corn­ sure holding the waxy character. some new problems. Since the starch will replace tapioca remains The waxy character was thus freed waxy characteristic is inherited as to be determined. However, from from most of the undesirable char­ a simple recessive and is masked the natural increase of stocks now acteristics of the original stock and by pollen from normal plants, it available we shall be able to satisfy then reisolated by selfing. will be necessary for fields to be any reasonable demand by 1944. These recovered waxy lines can’t semi-isolated from be distinguished in the field from other corn. If this is the original lines. A limited num­ not done the resulting ber of yield comparisons involving crop may be so badly Iowa 939 and waxy 939 have in­ contaminated with dicated that the waxy type is about pollen from other corn 10 percent lower in yield. A num­ that the peculiar ber of additional inbred lines are starch properties will now being converted to waxy. be lost. Care will also With this newer material it may be necessary to avoid be possible to produce high yield­ mixing with ordinary ing waxy hybrids. com in the crib, ele­ In November, 1941, when it be­ vator or in transit. came apparent that there would Just as waxy corn­ be no further imports of tapioca starch has special starch, it was decided to increase properties which the existing waxy com stocks as make it satisfactory rapidly as possible to relieve the for certain purposes, shortage. Only 335 seeds of one so does ordinary corn­ waxy single cross and 3800 seeds starch have certain of another were then available. special properties and A part of this seed was planted uses. A mixture of in the greenhouse at Ames to pro­ unknown proportions duce a “ winter” crop of seed and the rest was grown by Dr. Merle T. Jenkins in the greenhouse at Belts- ville, Maryland. The increase from The ear at the right in these 4,135 seeds we have used at Dr. Sprague’s hands and the Iowa Station this year to plant those on the opposite a 20-acre double crossing plot, and page are Waxy 939 corn. Yield of Waxy 939 has 19 acres are being grown for in­ been about 10 percent crease under isolation to produce less than of Iowa 939. advanced generation seed stocks. Only sure way to tell waxy from ordinary corn Assuming normal yields in 1942 is by chemical tests.

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