Abstract
Sweet corn (forms of Zea mays L. eaten in the immature stage), one of the most popular vegetables in the United States, is grown in every state. In 1980 the annual value of sweet corn in the United States exceeded $114 million for processing (canning and freezing) and $149 million for fresh market. In the United States in 1980, 150,000 and 71,000 hectares were planted to sweet corn for processing and fresh market, respectively (USDA Statistical Reporting Service). These figures do not include the production and value of sweet corn grown in the home garden. By any measure, sweet corn is an important vegetable crop.
This review was a joint paper of the journal series of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and paper No. 6378 of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Literature Cited
ALEXANDER, D.E. and R.G. CREECH. 1977. Breeding special industrial and nutritional types. p. 363–390. In: G.F. Sprague (ed.) Corn and Corn Improvement. Amer. Soc. Agro., Madison.
ANDREW, R.H., RA. BRINK and N.P. NEAL. 1944. Some effects of the waxy and sugary genes on endosperm development in maize. J. Agr. Res. 69:355–371.
ANON. 1977. Seeds for today. Asgrow Seed Co., Kalamazoo, Michigan.
AYERS, J.E. and R.G. CREECH. 1969. Genetic control of phytoglycogen accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.). Crop Sci. 9:739–741.
BEAR, R.P. 1944. Mutations for waxy and sugary endosperm in inbred lines of dent corn. J. Amer. Soc. Agron. 36:89–91.
BLACK, R.C., J.D. LOERCH, F.J. McARDLE and R.G. CREECH. 1966. Genetic interactions affecting maize phytoglycogen and the phytoglycogen forming branching enzyme. Genetics 53:661–668.
BOYER, C.D. and J. PREISS. 1978. Multiple forms of starch branching enzyme of maize: Evidence for independent genetic control. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 80:169–175.
BOYER, C.D. and J. PREISS. 1981. Evidence for independent genetic control of the multiple forms of maize endosperm branching enzymes and starch synthases. Plant Physiol. 67:1141–1145.
BOYER, C.D., P.A. DAMEWOOD, and E.K.G. SIMPSON. 1981. The possible relationship of starch and phytoglycogen in sweet corn. I. Characterization of particulate and soluble polysaccharides. Stärke 33:125–130.
BOYER, C.D., R.R. DANIELS and J.C SHANNON. 1977. Starch granule (amyloplast) development in endosperm of several Zea mays L. genotypes affecting kernel polysaccharides. Amer. J. Bot. 64:50–56.
BOYER, C.D., D.L. GARWOOD, and J.C. SHANNON. 1976. The interaction of the amylose-extender and waxy mutants of maize (Zea mays L.): Fine structure of amylose-extender waxy starch. Stärke 28:405–410.
BOYER, C.D., E.K.G. SIMPSON and P.A. DAMEWOOD. 1982. The possible relationship of starch and phytoglycogenin sweet corn. II. The role of branching enzyme I. Stärke 34:81–85.
BREWBAKER, J.L. 1977. ‘Hawaiian Super-sweet #9’ Corn. HortScience 12:355–356.
BREWBAKER, J.L. and N. BANAFUNZI. 1975. ‘Hawaiian Super-sweet #6’ Corn. HortScience 10:427–428.
BRINK, R.A. 1978. Identity and sources of a sugar enhancer gene significant for sweet corn quality. Maize Genetics Coop. News Lett. 52:110–112.
BUBEL, N. 1981. More about extra-sweet corn. Organic Gard. 28:42–50.
BURNHAM, C.R., E.H. COE, O.E. NELSON, E.B. PATTERSON and M.M. RHOADES. 1974. Revised genetic nomenclature for maize. Maize Genetics Coop. News Letter 48:201–202.
BURR, B. and O.E. NELSON. 1973. The phosphorylases of developing maize seeds. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 210:129–138.
CAMERON, J.W. and D.A. COLE. 1959. Effects of the genes su, su2 and du on carbohydrates in developing maize kernels. Agron. J. 51:424–427.
CAMERON, J.W. and J.H. TEAS. 1954. Carbohydrate relationships in developing and mature endosperms of brittle and related maize genotypes. Amer. J. Bot. 41:50–55.
CANTLIFFE, D.J., E.A. WOLF, and J.M. WHITE. 1975. Improved germination and plant stand of ‘Florida Sweet’ corn by seed treatment. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 88:170–173.
CHOUREY, P.S. and O.E. NELSON. 1976. The enzymatic deficiency conditioned by the shrunken-1 mutations in maize. Biochem. Genetics 14: 1041–1055.
COE, E.H. and M.G. NEUFFER. 1977. The genetics of corn. p. 111–223. In: G.F. Sprague (ed.) Corn and Corn Improvement. Amer. Soc. Agro., Madison.
COURTER, J.M. and A.M. RHODES. 1982. A classification of vegetable corns and new cultivars for 1982. p. 62–66. Ill. Veg. Grower Sch. Ill. Agr. Expt. Sta.
CRANE, P.L. 1964. Effects of the gene ae on seed quality in maize. Crop Sci. 4:359–360.
CREECH, R.G. 1965. Genetic control of carbohydrate synthesis in maize endosperm. Genetics 52:1175–1186.
CREECH, R.G. 1966. Application of biochemical genetics in quality improvement and plant nutrition I. Genetic mutations affecting carbohydrate properties of maize endosperm. Qual. Plant Mat. Veget. 13:86–97.
CREECH, R.G. 1968. Carbohydrate synthesis in maize. Adv. Agron. 20: 275–322.
CREECH, R.G. and F.J. McARDLE. 1966. Gene interaction for qualitative changes in carbohydrates in maize kernels. Crop Sci. 6:192–194.
CULPEPPER, C.W. and C.A. MAGOON. 1924. Studies upon the relative merits of sweet corn varieties for canning purposes and the relation of maturity of corn to the quality of the canned product. J. Agr. Res. 28:403–443.
CULPEPPER, C.W. and C.A. MAGOON. 1927. A study of the factors determining quality in sweet corn. J. Agr. Res. 34:413–433.
DICKINSON, D.B. and J. PREISS. 1969. Presence of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in shrunken-2 and brittle-2 mutants of maize endosperm. Plant Physiol. 44:1058–1062.
DVONCH, W. and R.L. WHISTLER. 1949. Polysaccharides of sweet corn. J. Biol. Chem. 181:889–895.
EAST, E.M. and H.K. HAYES. 1911. Inheritance of maize. Bul. 167. Conn. Agr. Expt. Station.
ERWIN, A.T. 1951. Sweet corn—mutant or historic species? Econ. Bot. 51:302–306.
FERGUSON, J.E., D.B. DICKINSON and A.M. RHODES. 1979. Analysis of endosperm sugars in a sweet corn inbred (Illinois 677a) which contains the sugary enhancer (se) gene and comparison of se with other corn genotypes. Plant Physiol. 63:416–420.
FERGUSON, J.E., A.M. RHODES and D.B. DICKINSON. 1978. The genetics of sugary enhancer (se), an independent modifier of sweet corn (su). J. Hered. 69:377–380.
GALINAT, W.C. 1971. The evolution of sweet corn. Bul. 591. Univ. of Mass., Agr. Expt. Sta.
GALINAT, W.C. 1973. Intergenomic mapping of maize, teosinte and tripsacum. Evolution 27:644–655.
GALINAT, W.C. 1975. The practical use of high quality bisweet defective endosperm traits. Maize Genetics Coop News Lett. 49:98–99.
GALINAT, W.C. 1976a. Further notes on the use of TR7 in the production of bisweet hybrids. Maize Genetics Coop News Lett. 50:72–73.
GALINAT, W.C. 1976b. The production of trisweet hybrids. Maize Genetics Coop News Lett. 50:73.
GARWOOD, D.L. 1976. Sweet corn breeding questionnaire summary. Pa. State University. Mimeo.
GARWOOD, D.L. and R.G. CREECH. 1972. Kernel phenotypes of Zea mays L. genotypes possessing one to four mutant genes. Crop Sci. 12:119–121.
GARWOOD, D.L. and R.G. CREECH. 1979. Tennfresh ADX’ hybrid sweet corn. HortScience 14:645.
GARWOOD, D.L., F.J. McARDLE, S.F. VANDERSLICE and J.C. SHANNON. 1976. Postharvest carbohydrate transformations and processed quality of high sugar maize genotypes. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 101:400–404.
GLOVER, D.V., P.L. CRANE, P.S. MISRA and E.T. MERTZ. 1975. Genetics of endosperm mutants in maize as related to protein quality and quantity. p. 228–240. In: L.F. Bauman et al. (eds.) High-quality protein maize. Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross. Stroudsburg, Pa.
GONZALES, J.W., A.M. RHODES and D.B. DICKINSON. 1974. A new inbred with high sugar content in sweet corn. HortScience 9:79–80.
GONZALES, J.W., A.M. RHODES and D.B. DICKINSON. 1976. Carbohydrate and enzymic characterization of a high sucrose sugary inbred line of sweet corn. Plant Physiol. 58:28–32.
HANNAH, L.C. and M.J. BASSETT. 1977. Use of brittle-A gene in sweet corn breeding. HortScience 12:313–314.
HANNAH, L.C. and D.J. CANTLIFFE. 1976. Levels of various carbohydrate constituents and percentage germination of four Everlasting Heritage sweet corns. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 89:80–82.
HANNAH, L.C. and D.J. CANTLIFFE. 1977. Percentage stand and sugars in four Florida sweet corns. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 90:412–413.
HANNAH, L.C. and O.E. Nelson. 1976. Characterization of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from shrunken-2 and brittle-2 mutants of maize. Biochem. Genetics 14:547–559.
HASSID, W.D. and R.M. McCREADY. 1941. The molecular constitution of glycogen and starch from the seed of sweet corn (Zea mays L). J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 63:1632–1635.
HELM, J.L., V.L. FERGASON and M.S. ZUBER. 1969. Interaction of dosage effects on amylose content of corn at the Du and Wx loci. J. Hered. 60:259–260.
HODGES, H.F., R.G. CREECH and J.D. LOERCH. 1969. Biosynthesis of phytoglycogen in maize endosperm. The branching enzyme. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 185:70–79.
HOLDER, D.G., D.V. GLOVER and J.C. SHANNON. 1974a. Interaction of shrunken-2 with five other carbohydrate genes in Zea mays L. endosperm. Crop. Sci. 14:643–646.
HOLDER, D.G., D.V. GLOVER and J.C. SHANNON. 1974b. Interaction of shrunken-2 and sugary-1 in dosage series in corn endosperm. Crop. Sci. 14:647–648.
HUTCHINSON, C.B. 1921. Heritable characteristics in maize. VII. Shrunken endosperm. J. Hered. 12:76–83.
JENNINGS, P.H. and C.L. McCOMBS. 1969. Effects of sugary-1 and shrunken-2 loci on kernel carbohydrate contents, Phosphorylase and branching enzyme activities during kernel ontogeny. Phytochemistry 8:1357–1363.
KRAMER, H.H., P.L. PFAHLER and R.L. WHISTLER. 1958. Gene interactions in maize effecting endosperm properties. Agron. J. 50:207–210.
LARKINS, B.A. 1980. Seed storage proteins: Characterization and biosynthesis. p. 449–489. In: A. Marcus (ed.) The biochemistry of plants. Vol. 6. Proteins and nucleic acids. Academic Press, New York.
LAUGHNAN, J.R. 1953. The effect of sh2 factor on carbohydrate reserves in the mature endosperm of maize. Genetics 38:485–499.
LAVINTMAN, N. 1966. The formation of branched glucans in sweet corn. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 116:1–8.
MANGELSDORF, P.C. 1974. Corn: Its Origin, Evaluation and Improvement. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Mass.
MATHESON, N.K. 1975. The (1–4) (1–6) glucans from sweet and normal corns. Phytochemistry 14:2017–2021.
MISRA, P.S., E.T. MERTZ and D.V. GLOVER. 1975. Studies on corn proteins VI. Endosperm protein changes in single and double endosperm mutants of maize. Cereal Chem. 52:161–166.
MORRIS, D.L. and C.T. MORRIS. 1939. Glycogen in the seed of Zea mays (variety Golden Bantam). J. Biol. Chem. 130:535–544.
NASS, H.G. and P.L. CRANE. 1970. Effect of endosperm mutants on germination and early seedling growth rate in maize (Zea mays L.) Crop Sci. 10:139–140.
NELSON, O.E. 1980. Genetic control of polysaccharide and storage protein synthesis in the endosperms of barley, maize, and sorghum. Adv. Cereal Sci. Tech. 3:41–71.
NELSON, O.E. and H.W. RINES. 1962. The enzymatic deficiency in the waxy mutant of maize. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 9:297–300.
NELSON, A.I. and M.P. STEINBERG. 1970. Sweet corn. p. 314–319. In: G.E. Inglett (ed.) Corn: Culture, Processing Products. AVI, Westport, Conn.
OZBUN, J.L., J.S. HAWKER and J. PREISS. 1971. Adenosine diphospho-glucose-starch glycoslytransferase from developing kernels of waxy maize. Plant Physiol. 48:765–769.
PREISS, J. and C. LEVI. 1980. Starch biosynthesis and degradation. p. 371–423. In: J. Preiss (ed.) The biochemistry of plants. Vol. 3, Carbohydrates: structure and function. Academic Press, New York.
PUCARIC, A., P.L. CRANE and D.V. GLOVER. 1975. Stand, early growth, and plant and ear height of endosperm mutants and normal maize hybrids under field conditions. Z. Aker.-und-Pflanzenbau. 141:317–325.
ROWE, D.E. and D.L. GARWOOD. 1978. Effect of four maize endosperm mutants on kernel vigor. Crop Sci. 18:709–712.
SAUSSEY, L.A. 1978. Morphological changes in Zea mays L. endosperm conditioned by mutants altering carbohydrate composition. MS Thesis. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
SHANNON, J.C. and R.G. CREECH. 1973. Genetics of storage polyglucosides in Zea mays L. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 210:279–289.
SHANNON, J.C. and D.L. GARWOOD. 1983. Genetics and physiology of starch. In: R.L. Whistler, E.F. Paschall and J.N. BeMiller Starch: chemistry and industry. 2nd ed. Academic Press, New York, (in press).
SHOWALTER, R.K. and L.W. MILLER. 1962. Consumer preference for high-sugar sweet corn varieties. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 75:278–280.
SINGLETON, W.R. 1948. Hybrid sweet corn. Bul. 518. Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta.
SOBERALSKE, R.M. and R.H. ANDREW. 1978. Gene effects on kernel moisture and sugar of near-isogenic lines of sweet corn. Crop Sci. 18:743–746.
SOBERALSKE, R.M. and R.H. ANDREW. 1980. Gene effects on water soluble polysaccharides and starch of near-isogenic lines of sweet corn. Crop Sci. 20:201–204.
STYER, R.D, D.J. CANTLIFFE and L.C. HANNAH. 1980. Differential seed and seedling vigor in shrunken-2 compared to three other genotypes of corn at various stages of development. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 105:329–332.
SUMNER, J.B. and G.F. SOMERS. 1944. The water soluble polysaccharides of sweet corn. Arch. Biochem. 44:7–9.
TAPLEY, W.T., W.D. ENZIE, and G.P. VAN ESELTINE. 1934. The vegetables of New York. Vol. 1. Part III. Sweet corn. N.Y. State Agr. Expt. Sta. Rpt.
TSAI, C.Y. and D.V. GLOVER. 1974. Effect of the brittle-1 sugary-1 double mutant combination on carbohydrate and postharvest quality of sweet corn. Crop Sci. 14:808–810.
TSAI, C.Y. and O.E. NELSON. 1966. Starch deficient maize mutant lacking adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase activity. Science 151: 341–343.
TSAI, C.Y. and O.E. NELSON. 1969. Mutations at the shrunken-4 locus in maize that produce three altered phosphorylases. Genetics 61:813–821.
WANN, E.V. 1980. Seed vigor and respiration of maize kernels with different endosperm genotypes. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 105:31–34.
WANN, E.V., G.B. BROWN and W.A. HILLS. 1971. Genetic modification of sweet corn quality. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 96:441–444.
WEAVER, S.H., D.V GLOVER, and C.Y. TSAI. 1972. Nucleoside diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase isoenzymes of developing normal, brittle-2 and shrunken-2 endosperms of Zea mays L. Crop Sci. 12:510–514.
WOLF, E. A. 1962. Possibilities of improving eating quality of shipped fresh corn with the high sugar retention property of the shrunken-2 character. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 75:236–239.
WOLF, E.A. and R.K. SHOWALTER. 1974. ‘Florida Sweet’ a high quality sh2 sweet corn hybrid for fresh market. Cir. S.2. Univ. of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville.
YEH, J.Y., D.L. GARWOOD and J.C. SHANNON. 1981. Characterization of starch from endosperm mutants. Stärke 33:222–230.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1983 The Avi Publishing Company, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Boyer, C.D., Shannon, J.C. (1983). The Use of Endosperm Genes for Sweet Corn Improvement. In: Janick, J. (eds) Plant Breeding Reviews. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8896-8_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8896-8_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8898-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8896-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive