Zea mays Genome sequencing. Zea mays

Maize is an economically important crop, along with rice and wheat. It is the premier cash crop in the United States. In addition to being used as grain and fodder, it is also used extensively in pharmaceutical production as well as a commodity feedstock for other organic chemical products like rubber, ethanol and plastic. Apart from its economic importance, it has been a classical plant model for genetic studies for decades.

玉米（Maize）与水稻、小麦均为具有重要经济价值的农作物。在美国，玉米是首要的经济作物。除可作为粮食与饲料使用外，其还被广泛应用于制药生产，同时可作为橡胶、乙醇、塑料等有机化工产品的商品原料。除具备经济重要性外，数十年来玉米一直是遗传学研究的经典植物模型。