Page 18 - Vol.36-No.8 issue

CROP PROTECTION

THE MAIZE PROCESS

making industrial chemicals including
bioethanol. In western countries and
more recently in parts of Asia the big-
gest proportion of the maize crop is ear-
DR. TERRY MABBETT marked for feeding farm livestock the
industrial production of food and non-
Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most widely food products including biofuels.
grown and versatile of all cereal crops,
although second (behind wheat) in total In direct contrast the huge bulk of
production. Through its truly worldwide maize grown in classic developing coun-
distribution and lower price, relative to tries is used in small scale production of
other cereals, maize offers more pro- human food with some finding its way
cessing options and a wider range of into animal feed production where sur-
uses for human food and livestock feed pluses allow. The texture types of maize
than for any other cereal grain including grain utilized are flint, dent, floury or of
wheat. There are many countries in the intermediate endosperm texture, with
world where maize is either the main sta- both white and yellow-coloured maize
ple food or one of several, with per cap- grain varieties.
ita human consumption reaching corre- Maize as livestock feed
spondingly high levels.
Maize can be processed into many dif- Maize is the cereal grain most widely
ferent products for a wide range of end used in livestock rations and increas-
uses whether at traditional village level Young maize well on the way to ingly so in developing countries even
or on an industrial commercial scale. secure establishment in the field though maize as a human food staple
In many countries a large proportion (Picture Dr Terry Mabbett) should receive top priority. Maize is the
of maize-based foods and food prod- key energy source in feed for a wide
ucts are still obtained by processing the ity parameters of the maize grain used. range of livestock including poultry,
grain according to traditional methods, Quality factors and properties influenc- pigs and large ruminants. It can be fed
although bulk demand for maize has ing and determining suitability and se- directly or used to formulate finished
been increasingly satisfied by industrial lection of maize varieties for particular feed. Maize is unrivalled by other cere-
processing. processing, application and uses include als in offering the very highest efficiency
That said there is a significant shift chemical, physical, biochemical, physi- of conversion of dry feed ingredient into
back into small scale processing of co-chemical, organoleptic and rheolog- to meat, milk and eggs. It has the highest
maize utilising simple, user-friendly, ical. Many of these properties can be net energy content with the lowest pro-
processing machinery including hullers influenced and manipulated in favour of tein and fibre content. Maize is highly
and equipment for wet and dry milling the processor through maize breeding palatable and livestock readily consume
and alongside larger parallel industrial and other agronomic practices. maize rations. Protein rations for poultry
developments. Commercial maize pro- The three main uses of maize are as and other livestock are boosted using
cessing mills producing brewer’s grits, staple food for human consumption, soya meal and other high protein con-
maize flour and maize meal will typical- feeding a wide range of livestock in- taining ingredients
ly operate in the same area with small- cluding poultry, pigs and cattle (as maize Maize grain can be fed to animals
er-scale village enterprises. Together grain or silage) and as a raw material for fresh or after some degree of processing
they produce huge volumes of maize- through drying and milling, followed by
based food commodities for direct hu- compounding and thorough mixing with
man or livestock consumption, or further other feed ingredients. The mixture thus
processing and manufacturing into com- obtained can be fed directly to livestock
mercial foods or finished feed. or be further formulated into a specific
product with physical properties and
Versatility of maize composition custom-designed to the
target animals. By-products of industrial
The range of maize types and vari- wet-and dry-milling of maize are widely
eties is equally large and versatile and used in livestock feed.
includes both local types grown by sub-
sistence farmers and newer commercial Use of home-grown maize for non-food
hybrid varieties by commercial growers. uses is still relatively low in some Asian
countries compared with industrialised
There are several, core and basic countries like the United States where
reasons why maize is such a versatile Maize is a very high yielding and over 80% of the maize grown is tradi-
crop in processing, application and versatile crop grown mainly for its tionally used in animal feed. Many of
use. Whether traditional or commer- grain, although it can also be cut these countries have relied on surpluses
cial, maize-based products are based green to make silage for feeding from countries like the United States to
on the endosperm properties and qual- livestock (Picture courtesy Omex) feed their livestock. That said the ‘bio-

16 Vol. 36 No. 8