Nitrogen Fixation in Corn (Zea mays)

Image source: Experimental Farm Network.

From "Nitrogen fixation and mucilage production on maize aerial roots is controlled by aerial root development and border cell functions":

Exploring natural diversity for biological nitrogen fixation in maize and its progenitors is a promising approach to reducing our dependence on synthetic fertilizer and enhancing the sustainability of our cropping systems.

If you know about corn, that is pretty exciting because "corn that makes its own nitrogen wut‽". OOOOOOO In this page if you see me refer to "Slime Corn" I am referring to corn that produces high amounts of aerial roots acting in concert with bacterial helpers to produce nitrogen-rich mucilage used by the corn.

In one group I'm involved with, we observed mucilage production on a variety of heirloom and commercial corn species. The trait seems to be very, very prevalent in some long-held seed landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico (see paper linnked above). For the past few years, Experimental Farm Network (EFN) has been selling landrace varieties derived from similarly productive and high mucilage plantings such as their Gigante Hominy variety.

A fellow observer had plants grown from this line that reached at least 15ft tall and produced large amounts of aerial roots with mucilage in the upstate NY area. Other observers noted the trait in at least Navajo Blue in Indiana and one of Bloody Butcher/Jimmy Red (sorry I don't recall which variety) in the southern US.

This trait of aerial roots with mucilage production has also been observed in other C4 grasses like Sorghum-sudan and Johnson grass (Sorgum halepense).

Follows are links to learn more about slime corn:

• Lunchtime Lecture Series: “Nitrogen fixation in maize landraces from Oaxaca, Mexico” - great video introduction to the concepts, history, and theories around the mucilage production
• Nitrogen fixation and mucilage production on maize aerial roots is controlled by aerial root development and border cell functions - good paper on the mechanics of the roots and mucilage
• Nitrogen fixation in a landrace of maize is supported by a mucilage-associated diazotrophic microbiota - more information about the microbiota mechanism for mucilage production
• Mucilage produced by sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) aerial roots supports a nitrogen-fixing community - more information about nitrogen fixing sorghum

Here some links to other stuff about CORN!

• The Corn Plant - Kenneth Asmus at Oikos Tree Crops writing a love letter about his own corn breeading
• From Hooch To Haute Cuisine: A Nearly Extinct Bootlegger's Corn Gets A Second Shot - just a fun article about moonshine and cuisine

Here are some places to possibly get seed to grow your own 🌽 COOL CORN 🌽.

• Gigante Hominy - buy seeds here/get on the waiting list