New Uses for

Waxy-Cereal Its waxy character was unknown, how- ever, until about 1933, when J. C. Stephens discovered that several other A^merican varieties also were waxy. From 1944 to 1947, 20,000 to 40,000 acres of waxy corn and were John H. Afar tin, grown and the grain processed in the Merle T. Jenkins each year. About 32,000 acres of waxy corn and 5,000 acres of waxy sorghum were grown in 1949. Waxy-cereal produces pastes Waxy starch exists in the with higher viscosity and less rigidity of the grains of some varieties of corn, than does ordinary cornstarch. Those sorghum, rice, , barley, and Job's characteristics make it adaptable to tears. The terin "waxy" refers to the many s}:)ecial industrial uses. The prop- waxlike appearance of the endosperm erties of waxy starch resemble those of of the grain w^hen it is cut or broken; starch. We are all familiar with it does not indicate the ]presence of true the difTcrence between soft tapioca wax. pudding and stiff cornstarch pudding. In the Orient, waxy grains are called Waxy and ordinary starch also differ in glutinous: it is because of the gluelike their molecular structure. character of the cooked or the wetted grain, flour, or starch. Glutinous vari- WAXY STARCH is entirely amylopec- eties of rice and also millet have been tin, a type in w^hich the molecules are known in for many centuries, arranged with many branches. Ordi- and glutinous sorghum has been grown nary starch is a mixture of the amylo- there for at least 300 years. Many vari- pectin (71 to 72 percent) and amyiose eties of waxy rice, millet, and sorghum (28 to 29 percent) types. The amyiose are grown in China and other Eastern molecules an^, arranged in straight un- countries. A few waxy rices have been branched chains. Tapioca starch is grown in the United States at tin:ies to about 80 percent amyiopectin and 20 supply special holiday delicacies to Ori- percent amyiose. ental people living here. The chro- One of the distinctive characters of mosomes in the reproductive cells of waxy starch and grains is that they corn occasionally undergo sudden stain red when they are treated with changes and give rise to waxy grain. iodine. Ordinary starch stains blue. It remained, however, for the Chi- The difference w^as discovered in nese to discover this new type in a crop France by A. Gris, in 1860. In 1921, that originated in the Americas. The F. R. Paniell, an Englishman working existence of waxy corn (or ) be- in India, discovered that the pollen of came known in 1908 when a missionary waxy cereals also stains red rather than in China, the Reverend J. M. W. Farn- blue when treated with iodine. Starch ham, sent a sample to the United States in the stems, leaves, and coats of Department of Agriculture. waxy cereals gives a blue reaction to Amber w-axy sorghum from China iodint^, which indicates that the waxy reached the United States about 1854, type of starch is formed only in the and that variety or selections from it endosperm and in the pollen. Appar- ha\'e been grown here since that time. ently the factors of heredity in waxy 902722^'- -12 159 i6o 1950-1951 YEARBOOK OF AGRICULTURE barley, and at least one waxy in For several years, work had ad- corn, do not effect complete conversion vanced toward the development of a to waxy starch, because the starch of waxy hybrid corn similar to the non- the mature grain contains 2 to 3 per- waxy hybrid, 939. Each of the cent of . inbred lines used in producing that hy- brid had been crossed with a waxy THE FIRST ATTEMPT to promote in- corn. Waxy progenies from the crosses dustrial use of waxy grain in the United were backcrossed repeatedly upon the States was made by R. E. Karper, of original inbred lines until the waxy the Texas Agricultural Experiment counterparts were recovered. The first Station. In the early 1930's he crossed test of the new waxy hybrid ( I o wax 1 ), the Batad variety of waxy sorghum, in 1939, indicated that it yielded only introduced from Java, with a domestic slightly less than did the ordinary hy- kafir variety. From that cross he de- brid, Iowa 939. Waxy kernels fre- veloped a new waxy variety otherwise quently weigh 3 to 5 percent less than like the kafir parent. When the grain nonwaxy kernels, with a corresponding supply had been increased to about a reduction in yield. Unfortunately, in ton, he offered it to several processors the fall of 1941 less than 2 bushels of with the suggestion that it might have lowax 1 seed was available. Only 335 special uses. Karper then had visions of and 3,800 kernels, respectively, of the new types of baby foods, health foods, two single crosses and limited quan- or desserts. But no processor could be tities of seed of the four inbred pa- interested in undertaking the develop- rental lines needed to produce the hy- ment of products from this strange brid were on hand at that time. The grain, and so the waxy kafir was used seed supply was increased in large in a hog-feeding experiment. The hogs greenhouses at Beltsville, Md., in the thrived as well as but no better than winter of 1941-42, and in the field did those consuming ordinary kafir. at Ames, Iowa, during the following Interest was revived after 1936 with summer. In 1942, 326 acres of the sec- the discovery of the similarity between ond-generation hybrid of lowax 1 was waxy starch and tapioca starch. The grown, harvested, and ]3rocessed. That discovery was made at the Iowa Agri- was the beginning of the waxy-corn in- cultural Experiment Station by R. M. dustry. The growing of such lower- Hixon, after separating the starch from yielding second-generation hybrid corn waxy corn and sorghum supplied by was merely a temporary expedient. By the writers. In 1938,^ F. H. Thurber, of 1944, some 10,000 acres of the first- the Department of Agriculture, made generation hybrid was grown; since some limited tests of starch which he 1946, about 20,000 acres of waxy corn had separated from waxy and non- has been grown annually. An open- waxy . Chemists at the pollinated variety of waxy corn de- Kansas and Nebraska Agricultural Ex- veloped at the Nebraska Agricultural periment Stations started experiments Experiment Station was grown to some shortly thereafter. extent for a time. The war cut off our supplies of tapi- Breeding operations to convert addi- oca flour from the Netherlands Indies, tional inbred lines of corn to the waxy which had furnished about 97 percent condition were expanded immediately of the 300 raillion to 400 million with the development of interest in the pounds we imported annually. The commercial production of waxy corn. emergency focused attention on waxy Hybrids involving the additional lines grains. Representatives of the starch were released as rapidly as they became industries began experimenting with available. As a result, there have been the waxy starches for various uses and rapid shifts in acreage to the improved also with commercial methods for sepa- hybrids. lowax 2 was released in 1945, rating the starch from waxy grains. and by 1947 it comprised the bulk of NEW USES FOR WAXY-CEREAL STARCHES i6i the crop. That hybrid now has been available. A waxy white-seeded sor- largely replaced by lowax 4 and lowax ghum called Ellis was distributed to 5. Small acreages of the waxy counter- Kansas farmers in 1947. Although this parts of U. S. 13 and Kansas 2275, a is a sweet-stalked variety grown for white hybrid, were grown in 1948. The forage, the seed can be threshed and acreage of waxy U. S. 13 was expanded processed whenctver there is sufiBcient in 1949. Waxy hybrids developed by a demand for it. About 5,000 acres of commercial hybrid-corn company also a new variety called Miloca was grown have been grown on a limited acreage. in w^estern Texas and Kansas in 1949 At the beginning of the war we had for processing. This variety was de- more waxy sorghum than waxy corn, v^eloped and distributed by the Texas but no methods for processing the Agricultural Experiment Station. This grain. The two leading waxy-sorghum station also developed some combine- varieties then being grown commer- type waxy white-seeded kafirs. cially, Leoti and Schrock, had colored Waxy sorghum, like waxy corn, re- that were difficult to process. Un- quires special handling in growing and less bleached, the starch from Leoti was marketing. It is desirable to avoid con- about the color of a strawberry sundae ; tamination with the pollen of nonwaxy the Schrock starch resembled malted varieties. When pollen from a non- milk. It w^as found that by grinding the waxy variety fertilizes the flowers of a grain in a wheat-flour mill the bran waxy variety, the grain produced is could be separated from the flour, nonwaxy because of the dominance of which would yield a white starch. The the gene that controls the inheritance waxy-sorghum industry started on that of the nonwaxy character of the endo- basis, but satisfactory wet-milling pro- sperm starch. It is possible to utilize cedures have since been developed. waxy grain that contains not more than By this time, the waxy white kafir that 5 percent of nonwaxy kernels. Never- had been unacceptable a few years theless, the seed stocks must be kept earlier was in demand, but only 100 pure, and pollen contamination and pounds of seed was available in 1941. mechanical mixtures with ordinary This was increased in 1942, and sev- corn should be avoided. Like waxy eral thousand acres were harvested and corn, most strains of waxy sorghum processed in 1943. For several years, tend to yield less than corresponding A. F. Swanson, of the Bureau of nonwaxy strains. Thus far, waxy corn Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural and sorghum for processing have been Engineering, cooperating with the grown under contract and have sold at Kansas Agricultural Experiment Sta- a premium over the price of nonwaxy tion, had been experimenting with grains, because of higher production several strains of waxy sorghum se- costs. lected from crosses with the Leoti vari- Breeders of sorghum have tried to ety. The best of these^ a Leoti-Club develop waxy varieties and hybrids that kafir derivative later named Cody, was are sufficiently productive and other- increased in 1942 from a seed supply wise desirable for growing as a feed of only 24 pounds. In 1943 this was crop. Manufacturers could then select planted in early spring in southern Ari- the lots reaching the market that are zona and California, and the crop pure enough for processing, probably threshed in June was shipped to Kansas by paying a small premium to encour- and Texas for growing the same year. age the shipment of reasonably pure From 1944 to 1946, all the waxy sor- waxy grain. Such a procedure, which ghum processed was the Cody variety, is now followed by processors of barley grown on 10,000 to 20,000 acres an- and oats, would result in lower costs of nually. Cody grain was entirely free the raw material. from objectionable pigments. Now sev- The starch of waxy corn and waxy eral varieties of suitable grain type arc white-seeded sorghums can be sepa- 162 1950-195 1 YEARBOOK OF AGRICULTURE rated from the germ, bran, protein, applied to paper without leaving the and cellulose of the grain by the pro- paper appreciably wet. The resultant cedure that is used in the wet milling thin-gummed layer is remoistened eas- of the non waxy grains. The waxy ily when sticking stamps or paper. starch, however, requires special han- The soft puddings made from waxy dling, and the mill must be thoroughly starch are pleasant to eat. They are es- cleaned before changing from one type pecially good for people unable to swal- of starch to the other. Mixtures of waxy low solid food following a tonsillec- and nonw^axy grain or starch cannot be tomy. There are possibilities for a great processed satisfactorily. In a large wet- variety of food products from waxy process mill, there are several miles of starch besides the two that already have pipes, besides numerous containers, been marketed in the United States. that must be cleaned before shifting to Waxy corn makes a tasty corn bread. another type of starchy material. People of the Orient make many dif- Therefore, the processing can be justi- ferent cakes, confections, puddings, fied only when large quantities of and other foods from waxy (or gluti- waxy grain are available. Because nous) grains. The future industrial larger mills may have capacities of 10,- uses of waxy starch in the United States 000 to 30,000 bushels a day, it is neces- may include adhesives, paper and tex- sary to assemble 100,000 to 300,000 tile sizings, and drilling muds, as well bushels for a 7- to 10-day run on waxy as several new food and industrial grain. products. Waxy- has been used is suitable for the chiefly for making adhesives for articles manufacture of w^axy starch, but it in which tapioca starch formerly was usually costs considerably more than used, and for textile and paper sizings. cither corn or grain sorghum. Also, The adhesives are used on stamps, en- broken rice and rice flour, which are velopes, gummed tapes and labels, cor- byproducts of milling, already have rugated cardboard cartons, and ordi- special uses. Waxy barley shows no su- nary plywoods for indoor use. periority over nonwaxy barley for malt- Waxy sorghum w^as first used indus- ing, but other possible uses have re- trially for preparing Minute Dessert to ceived little attention. An adapted va- replace Minute Tapioca during the riety of waxy barley was developed by Second World War. Its manufacture repeated backcrossing, the waxy char- was stopped when tapioca starch from acter having been derived from a vari- Brazil became available in 1947. Pure ety from . Waxy varieties of mil- waxy-sorghum starch produces a softer lets and Job's tears are not grown in gel than does tapioca. For this reason the United States, and are unlikely to it may require less cooking to reach the be established here. The Job's tears right consistency. Some of the first plant is a coarse grass that produces Minute Dessert was not of the most beadlike, hard-shelled seeds. The grain uniform quality, but methods of man- is sometimes eaten in the Orient. ufacture have since been perfected. At present prices, waxy-sorghum starch JOHN H. MARTIN has been engaged competes satisfactorily with tapioca in cereal research since 1914 and has starch for food purposes. However, it had charge of sorghum investigations cannot be marketed as tapioca, which in the division of cereal crops and is a recognized product with an estab- diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry^ lished trade. SoilSj and Agricultural Engineering, Waxy starch is excellent for many since 1925. adhesive uses because it makes a free- MERLE T. JENKINS has conducted flowing paste with much less water research with corn since 1919 and has than is possible with ordinary starch. been in charge of corn investigations Thus the w^axy-starch gums can be for the same Bureau since 1934,