Seguin, Texas

A maize field along a country road in Seguin, Texas. The grain is mostly used in animal feed.
see all photos »

Driving in Seguin, I noticed a crop I had never seen before.  It turns out it is maize, so I thought I would share a couple of photos with you.

For thousands of years, maize has been cultivated in the Americas.  In fact, it was one of the first crops domesticated by our hunter-gatherer ancestors.  Today's corn is (more or less) descended from this ancient plant.  But corn is more susceptible to drought than maize.

Maize, old time grain

Close up view of the maize plant.
see all photos »

Maize is also a considerably more water-efficient crop than smaller grains like soybeans or alfalfa, which makes it a good crop for drought-prone areas.  Take a look at the corn field along the same road as the maize field.  (Photo on next page.)