Maize, Sorghum, and Millet

Maize and sorghum rank, third and fourth in world production among major cereals, after wheat and rice. Millet is an important food source in India, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey. As maize, sorghum, and millet are staple crops in vast areas of the developing world, and particularly as sorghum and millet are uniquely adapted to dry regions where food shortages are chronic, improved production of these crops can decrease hunger and malnutrition. Maize stalks and leaves are used as cattle feed, fuel, thatch, and fencing in both Latin America and Africa, Plowing under maize field residue or fertilizing with ash do not seem to be common practices. While massive amounts of fertilizer are used to grow grain in the developed world, even for cattle feed, virtually no fertilizer is available, for economic reasons, to increase production of sorghum, millet and maize in the developing world to feed directly millions of people.