Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure
3.7.
Ancestors and modern types of maize.
Sorghum, although appearing very similar to maize, has very different character-
istics that make it well adapted to drier areas of the world. It also grows well in the
areas where maize is grown, but comparison of Figures 3.5 and 3.6 show significant
differences. Sorghum is a major crop in the Sahel countries of Africa, India, and Aus-
tralia, while it is less widely planted than maize in the United States, China, and Brazil.
There are great differences among varieties and races of sorghum, causing problems in
its botanical classification. See Figure 3.7 for a history of maize types.
3.2.1 Climatic Adaptation
Maize is widely adapted to many climates and growing season lengths. Maize is planted
from sea level to over 4000 m altitude. It is produced from 508 N latitude (southern
Canada and Russia) to 408 S latitude (Argentina and southern Australia).
3
Some
varieties are relatively insensitive to photoperiod changes, while others can only be
