Zea mays subsp. mays
Origin: Andes (via US & Canada)
Improvement Status: Breeding population
Seeds per packet: ~95
Germination tested 12/2023: 96%
Life cycle: Annual
This corn comes to us from breeder Frank Kutka of the College of Menominee Nation, who says this about it:
'Cuzco del Norte' (Cycle 1 or C1) is a diverse population of maize based on many years of development. Farmers in the Andes adapted maize to their high mountain valleys for centuries. Cargill breeders first bred Cuzco types from Peru with Corn Belt dent types to expand the genetic base of adapted germplasm for the Corn Belt. Breeders at Guelph in Ontario then selected that population for earliness. This Canadian population has then been crossed back to very high altitude lines from Peru that were made available through the USDA, and it was then reselected for earliness once more. It is a variable and multicolored population with dent, flint, and flour textures like its diverse parents. Seeds vary from small to fairly large. Most plants are early to mid-season, while a few will likely still get very tall and will still show adaptation issues. Ears are generally shaped in the classic Andean type, and many plants will show some amount of cold tolerance that will impress when it is needed. Why not dance with this beautiful maize and see where it takes you?
