TED-Ed: How corn conquered the world | Chris A. Kniesly

Corn, primarily Yellow Dent number 2, is a major global crop, originating from teosinte in Mesoamerica. It became a staple in the Americas and later spread to Europe. The U.S. standardized corn production with Yellow Dent, aided by mechanization and synthetic fertilizers post-WWII. This led to increased production and industrial uses, such as high-fructose corn syrup. However, this success has environmental costs, including pollution and vulnerability to pests due to monoculture farming.

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