Sweet maize breeding for different consumption purposes

Sweet maize is consumed as human food in the milk stage of the endosperm development when the kernel is soft, sweet and succulent. The highest number of commercial sweet maize hybrids is based on one or more recessive alleles that alter a carbohydrate content of the endosperm. Sweet maize is produced for different purposes. Each mode of its utilization, beside the yield and softness of the pericarp, has its specific requirements for certain quality. The taste (sweetness) and the ear appearance are the most important for sweet maize fresh market. Sweet maize that is transported needs to be of the uniform maturity in order to reduce the percentage of residues at mechanical harvest of the crop. Maintenance of sweetness after transport is also a very important trait. The shape and uniformity of the ear, the kernel colour, structure and taste are very important in selection of hybrids for the commercial production. Commercial processing (tinning or freezing) requires the uniform size and shape of the aer. The kernel structure, shape, size and fulfilment after cutting are requirements for several modes of utilization (processing) of sweet maize.