December 2, 2025
Maize (Zea mays) has long stood at the intersection of human culture and the natural world. Originating from teosinte, a wild grass domesticated in Mesoamerica over 9,000 years ago, it was gradually transformed through centuries of selective breeding by Indigenous farmers. From a small-eared plant with a handful of hard kernels, maize thus evolved into the high-yielding, single-stalked crop recognised worldwide today.
