Corn is categorized as; dent, flint, flour, sweet, pop or pod, based on its kernel characteristics.
The majority of corn grown in the U.S. is YELLOW DENT which has kernels with vitreous spikey
endosperm (starch granules contained within a protein matrix) at the sides and back, and a
central core of soft floury endosperm (mostly starch granules). As the kernel dries the floury
central core collapses on itself producing a dent or sunken area on the top of the kernel. Average
composition for this type of corn is 61% starch, 19.2% protein and fiber, 16% water and 3.8% oil
(World of Corn, 2004).
Corn production has been described as a race against time. A properly selected hybrid, planted
on time has only a 50% (5 out of 10 years) chance of reaching maturity before frost (Farnham et
al, 2003). For corn to achieve physiological maturity, requirements for growing degree units
(GDUs), moisture and temperature must be fulfilled. Too few GDUs and development stops
before maturity is reached. Too little or too much moisture at critical growth stages can be a
serious growth deterrent and yield limiting factor. Similarly, too low or too high temperatures
result in delayed growth and reduced yields.
Having achieved physiological maturity the emphasis is on maintaining quality. There are two
areas of concern; kernel moisture content and kernel integrity. In a normal season, kernel
moistures of mature corn at harvest will range from 25-17% wet basis. At these levels the kernel
is at risk to fungal attack, so some form of preservation must be utilized; drying, oxygen
limitation (ensiling) or chemical preservative. Of added concern is mechanical damage to the
kernels. Hellevang and Wilcke (1996) stated that mechanical damage to kernels is minimized
during harvest when moisture content is about 22%, with increased damage observed above and
below that level. Mechanical damage, either from threshing or handling, results in ruptured or
cracked pericarp that can lead to further lost quality during forced-air drying, handling and
storage.
Corn in commercial channels is assigned an official grade based on a set of quality descriptors;
minimum test-weight (weight per unit of volume
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Values and Politics
As Americans headed to the polls last November, their values and basic beliefs were more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years. Unlike in 1987, when a series of values surveys began, the values gap between Republicans and Democrats is now greater than gender, age, race or class divides.
Overall, there has been much more stability than change across the 48 political values measures that the Pew Research Center has tracked since 1987. But the average partisan gap has nearly doubled over this 25-year period – from 10 percentage points in 1987 to 18 percentage points in the new study.
Nearly all of the increases have occurred during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During this period, both parties’ bases have often been critical of their parties for not standing up for their traditional positions. Currently, 71% of Republicans and 58% of Democrats say their parties have not done a good job in this regard.
With regard to the broad spectrum of values, basic demographic divisions – along lines such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion and class – are no wider than they have ever been. Men and women, whites, blacks and Hispanics, the highly religious and the less religious, and those with more and less education differ in many respects. However, these differences have not grown in recent years, and for the most part pale in comparison to the overwhelming partisan divide we see today. In recent years, both parties have become smaller and more ideologically homogeneous. Republicans are dominated by self-described conservatives, while a smaller but growing number of Democrats call themselves liberals. Among Republicans, conservatives continue to outnumber moderates by about two-to-one. And there are now as many liberal Democrats as moderate Democrats.
But the growing partisan divide over political values is not simply the result of the declining number who identify with the party labels. While many Americans have given up their party identification over the past 25 years and now call themselves independents, the polarization extends also to independents, most of whom lean toward a political party. Even when the definition of the party bases is extended to include these leaning independents, the values gap has about doubled between 1987 and 2012.
Looking back to the 2012 election, the largest divides between committed supporters of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were over the scope and role of government in the economic realm. Swing voters, who made up about a quarter of all registered voters, were cross-pressured. Their attitudes on the social safety net and immigration were somewhat closer to those of Romney supporters, while they tilted closer to Obama supporters in opinions about labor unions and some social issues. In contrast to the widening partisan gap, the new survey finds neither growing class differences in fundamental political values, nor increasing class resentment. As in the past, a substantial majority of Americans agree that “the rich just get richer while the poor get poorer.” Yet there are no indications of increasing hostility toward the rich and successful. And there are no signs that lower-income people have become more cynical about an individual’s power to control their destiny or the value of hard work.
At the same time, the proportion of Americans who see a widening gap in living standards between the poor and middle class has grown since the mid-1980s. But the public sees no greater gap in values differences between the middle class and poor over this period.
The polling finds little support for the broad notion of American “declinism.” As has been the case in previous political values surveys, a large majority agrees that “as Americans we can always find a way to solve our problems and get what we want.” The public’s confidence in the nation has not been dulled, even as Americans have become more skeptical about prospects for economic growth.
These are among the principal findings of the latest Pew Research Center American Values survey, conducted April 4-15, 2012, among 3,008 adults nationwide. The values project, which began in 1987 and has been updated 14 times since then, tracks a wide range of the public’s fundamental beliefs. These questions do not measure opinions about specific policy or political questions, but rather the underlying values that ultimately shape those opinions.
