83-578: Uzuakoli is an area in Abia State of Eastern Nigeria that includes several villages. It has been home to a Methodist College, a large market, clandestine slave trading, a leprosy settlement, Ila Oso Festival, and conflict. One of the first Methodist missionaries there was Bernard Batty , whose sons attended Elmfield College in York. The community is in the Igbo "heartland". The University of California has
166-609: A staple food in many parts of the world, with the total production of maize surpassing that of wheat and rice . Much maize is used for animal feed , whether as grain or as the whole plant, which can either be baled or made into the more palatable silage . Sugar-rich varieties called sweet corn are grown for human consumption, while field corn varieties are used for animal feed, for uses such as cornmeal or masa , corn starch , corn syrup , pressing into corn oil , alcoholic beverages like bourbon whiskey , and as chemical feedstocks including ethanol and other biofuels . Maize
249-665: A 9,000 capacity multipurpose International Conference Centre in Umuahia. This edifice of international standard was built by Governor T.A Orji , to enhance tourism as well as boost the state economy, through hosting of major International and Local events. Representing 27% of the GDP, agriculture – which employs 70% of the state workforce – is the second economic sector of Abia. With its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much arable land that produces yams , maize , potatoes , rice , cashews , plantains , taro , and cassava . Oil palm
332-814: A conventional breeding program to provide optimized strains. The program began in the 1980s. Hybrid seeds are distributed in Africa by its Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa project. Tropical landraces remain an important and underused source of resistance alleles – both those for disease and for herbivores . Such alleles can then be introgressed into productive varieties. Rare alleles for this purpose were discovered by Dao and Sood, both in 2014. In 2018, Zerka Rashid of CIMMYT used its association mapping panel, developed for tropical drought tolerance traits. to find new genomic regions providing sorghum downy mildew resistance , and to further characterize known differentially methylated regions . Genetically modified maize
415-403: A corn head (with points and snap rolls instead of a reel) does not cut the stalk; it simply pulls the stalk down. The stalk continues downward and is crumpled into a mangled pile on the ground, where it usually is left to become organic matter for the soil . The ear of maize is too large to pass between slots in a plate as the snap rolls pull the stalk away, leaving only the ear and husk to enter
498-570: A high concentration of medium-scale manufacturing clusters in the city of Aba . With its fast growing population and industrialization, Abia has the joint-eighth highest Human Development Index in Nigeria. Abia State occupies about 4902 square kilometres. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the states of Enugu for about 25 km, and Ebonyi for 70 km (43 miles), Cross River State for about 52 km (partly across Cross River) and Akwa Ibom State for 151 km (94 miles) to
581-408: A large cob. Yellow maizes derive their color from carotenoids ; red maizes are colored by anthocyanins and phlobaphenes ; and orange and green varieties may contain combinations of these pigments. Maize has short-day photoperiodism , meaning that it requires nights of a certain length to flower. Flowering further requires enough warm days above 10 °C (50 °F). The control of flowering
664-499: A measure of protection against a wide range of pests. Because of its shallow roots, maize is susceptible to droughts, intolerant of nutrient-deficient soils, and prone to being uprooted by severe winds. Maize is diploid with 20 chromosomes . 83% of allelic variation within the genome derives from its teosinte ancestors, primarily due to the freedom of Zea species to outcross . Barbara McClintock used maize to validate her transposon theory of "jumping genes", for which she won
747-462: A modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas. Abia State
830-496: A part of Enugu state to create Ebonyi state in 1996). The state capital is Umuahia while the largest city and commercial centre is Aba . Abia is the 32nd largest state by area and the 27th most populous with an estimated population of over 3,727,347 as of 2016. Geographically, the state is divided between the Niger Delta swamp forests in the far south and the drier Cross–Niger transition forests with some savanna in
913-519: A photograph of Methodist missionaries in Uzuakoli in 1924. In 1964, students of Methodist College of Uzuakoli wrote a short history of the area. Other photos of area residents are in archives. Abia State Abia State ( Igbo : Ọra Abia ) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria . The state is bordered to the northwest by Anambra State and to the northeast by
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#1732794482840996-638: A place but a condition, a savage rather than a civilized grain". International groups such as the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International consider maize the preferred common name. The word maize is used by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization , and in the names of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center of Mexico, the Indian Institute of Maize Research,
1079-601: A plant that uses C 4 carbon fixation , maize is a considerably more water-efficient crop than plants that use C 3 carbon fixation such as alfalfa and soybeans . Maize is most sensitive to drought at the time of silk emergence, when the flowers are ready for pollination. In the United States, a good harvest was traditionally predicted if the maize was "knee-high by the Fourth of July ", although modern hybrids generally exceed this growth rate. Maize used for silage
1162-508: Is a list of Languages of Abia State organised by the LGA: The State Government is led by a democratically elected Governor who works closely with members of the state's House of Assembly . The capital city of the state is Umuahia . and there are 17 local government areas in the state. At statehood in 1991, Abia was ruled by Ibrahim Babangida -appointed Military Administrator Frank Ajobena before Ogbonnaya Onu
1245-477: Is a problem in Asia. Some fungal diseases of maize produce potentially dangerous mycotoxins such as aflatoxin . In the United States, major diseases include tar spot , bacterial leaf streak , gray leaf spot , northern corn leaf blight, and Goss's wilt ; in 2022, the most damaging disease was tar spot, which caused losses of 116.8 million bushels . Maize sustains a billion dollars' worth of losses annually in
1328-685: Is also available in the state very effective. Aba is connected to Port Harcourt by rail. Umuahia is connected to Aba and Enugu by rail. The coastal parts of the State are equally accessible using boats and canoes. Federal Highways are; Other major roads includes; The residents of Abia state are predominantly Christians . Umuahia Catholic Diocese (1958) [1] with 70 parishes is under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022) [2] and Aba Diocese (1990) [3] with 90 parishes under Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema (2019) [4] , both suffragans of Owerri Archdiocese. The Aba Province of Anglican Church of Nigeria led by Archbishop Isaac Nwaobia (2019) comprises
1411-408: Is composed of transposons , contains 32,540 genes. Much of it has been duplicated and reshuffled by helitrons , a group of transposable elements within maize's DNA. Maize breeding in prehistory resulted in large plants producing large ears. Modern breeding began with individuals who selected highly productive varieties in their fields and then sold seed to other farmers. James L. Reid was one of
1494-537: Is cultivated throughout the world; a greater weight of maize is produced each year than any other grain. In 2020, world production was 1.1 billion tonnes. It is afflicted by many pests and diseases ; two major insect pests, European corn borer and corn rootworms , have each caused annual losses of a billion dollars in the US. Modern plant breeding has greatly increased output and qualities such as nutrition, drought tolerance, and tolerance of pests and diseases. Much maize
1577-418: Is from late November to early February. In Aba, the rainy season is warm and cloudy , the dry season is hot and largely gloomy, and the climate is uncomfortable all year long. The average annual temperature ranges from 68 °F to 88 °F, with occasional exceptions when it falls below 61 °F or rises over 91 °F. Since Aba experiences so small seasonal temperature variations, talking about
1660-414: Is harvested while the plant is green and the fruit immature. Sweet corn is harvested in the "milk stage", after pollination but before starch has formed, between late summer and early to mid-autumn. Field maize is left in the field until very late in the autumn to thoroughly dry the grain, and may, in fact, sometimes not be harvested until winter or even early spring. The importance of sufficient soil moisture
1743-599: Is intense between the months of April through October. The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba Rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean through Akwa Ibom State. Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) deals with the collection, storing, treatment and disposal of solid waste , to ensure that it does not affect humans, living things and the environment at large. There are factors that influences
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#17327944828401826-509: Is made up of seventeen (17) Local Government Areas . They are: Tourist destinations include: Maize Maize / m eɪ z / ( Zea mays ), also known as corn in North American English , is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain . It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte . Native Americans planted it alongside beans and squashes in
1909-533: Is now genetically modified . As a food, maize is used to make a wide variety of dishes including Mexican tortillas and tamales , Italian polenta , and American hominy grits . Maize protein is low in some essential amino acids , and the niacin it contains only becomes available if freed by alkali treatment . In Mesoamerica, maize is deified as a maize god and depicted in sculptures. Maize requires human intervention for it to propagate. The kernels of its naturally-propagating teosinte ancestor fall off
1992-468: Is set genetically; the physiological mechanism involves the phytochrome system. Tropical cultivars can be problematic if grown in higher latitudes, as the longer days can make the plants grow tall instead of setting seed before winter comes. On the other hand, growing tall rapidly could be convenient for producing biofuel. Immature maize shoots accumulate a powerful antibiotic substance, 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one ( DIMBOA ), which provides
2075-560: Is shown in many parts of Africa, where periodic drought regularly causes maize crop failure and consequent famine . Although it is grown mainly in wet, hot climates, it can thrive in cold, hot, dry or wet conditions, meaning that it is an extremely versatile crop. Maize was planted by the Native Americans in small hills of soil, in the polyculture system called the Three Sisters . Maize provided support for beans ;
2158-557: Is the domesticated variant of the four species of teosintes , which are its crop wild relatives . The teosinte origin theory was proposed by the Russian botanist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov in 1931, and the American Nobel Prize -winner George Beadle in 1932. The two plants have dissimilar appearance, maize having a single tall stalk with multiple leaves and teosinte being a short, bushy plant. The difference between
2241-405: Is the leaf most closely associated with a particular developing ear. This leaf and those above it contribute over three quarters of the carbohydrate ( starch ) that fills the grain. The grains are usually yellow or white in modern varieties; other varieties have orange, red, brown, blue , purple , or black grains. They are arranged in 8 to 32 rows around the cob; there can be up to 1200 grains on
2324-400: Is the most important cash crop . There are over 100 oil wells and 3 installed flow stations in Abia State. There is also an associated gas plant, Abia/NNPC gas plant. As of 2012, boundary Commission said it returned 42 oil wells from neighbouring Rivers State to Abia. This would have meant Abia was r fourth largest oil-producing state in the country. Oil giant, Shell , holds most of
2407-607: The All Progressives Congress and Alex Otti of APGA to be sworn in as Governor for a second term on 29 May 2019. In Abia State, 70 percent of politicians belong to the PDP. In 2023, Alex Otti of the Labour Party Nigeria (LP) emerged as the eleventh governor of the state having defeated the candidate of the PDP in a fiercely contested race. The electoral system of each state is selected using
2490-612: The Balsas River valley in Mexico's southwestern highlands, as the crop wild relative genetically most similar to modern maize. The middle part of the short Balsas River valley is the likely location of early domestication. Stone milling tools with maize residue have been found in an 8,700 year old layer of deposits in a cave not far from Iguala, Guerrero . Doebley and colleagues showed in 2002 that maize had been domesticated only once, about 9,000 years ago, and then spread throughout
2573-535: The Municipal solid waste generation such as income level, local climatic condition, urbanization and economic development. MSW in Aba, Abia State is classified into; In recent times, it was reported that aba and Umuahia generates up to two hundred and seventy truckloads of domestic and commercial waste daily. This information was made known to the public by Governor Alex Otti during his inauguration speech after taking
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2656-495: The Murtala Muhammed regime. Fifteen years afterwards, Imo State was divided with eastern Imo being broken off to form the old Abia State; but in 1996, part of Abia's northeast was removed to form a part of the new Ebonyi State . Economically, Abia State is based around the production of crude oil and natural gas along with agriculture, mainly cultivation of yams , maize , taro , oil palm , and cassava . It has
2739-483: The Three Sisters polyculture . The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen , and female inflorescences called ears . The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern commercial varieties, these are usually yellow or white; other varieties can be of many colors. Maize relies on humans for its propagation. Since the Columbian exchange , it has become
2822-607: The 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine . Maize remains an important model organism for genetics and developmental biology . The MADS-box motif is involved in the development of maize flowers. The Maize Genetics and Genomics Database is funded by the US Department of Agriculture to support maize research. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center maintains a large collection of maize accessions tested and cataloged for insect resistance. In 2005,
2905-662: The Americas. Maize pollen dated to 7,300 years ago from San Andres, Tabasco has been found on the Caribbean coast. A primitive corn was being grown in southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America 7,000 years ago. Archaeological remains of early maize ears, found at Guila Naquitz Cave in the Oaxaca Valley , are roughly 6,250 years old; the oldest ears from caves near Tehuacan , Puebla, are 5,450 years old. Around 4,500 years ago, maize began to spread to
2988-479: The B-vitamin niacin , the lack of which caused pellagra . Once alkali processing and dietary variety were understood and applied, pellagra disappeared in the developed world. The development of high- lysine maize and the promotion of a more balanced diet have contributed to its demise. Pellagra still exists in food-poor areas and refugee camps where people survive on donated maize. The name maize derives from
3071-709: The Maize Association of Australia, the National Maize Association of Nigeria, the National Maize Association of Ghana, the Maize Trust of South Africa, and the Zimbabwe Seed Maize Association. Maize is a tall annual grass with a single stem, ranging in height from 1.2 m (4 ft) to 4 m (13 ft). The long narrow leaves arise from the nodes or joints, alternately on opposite sides on
3154-596: The National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, a federally-owned inter-university centre for the study and development of Nigerian Languages. The nearest airport to Abia is Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport (Owerri Airport), it is an hour drive to Umuahia and Aba . It is two hours' drive to Port Harcourt International Airport . Akwa Ibom Airport ( Akwa Ibom State ) can also serve would-be visitors. The distance between Uyo ( Akwa Ibom ) and Umuahia (Abia) is: 73.28 kilometres (45.53 mi). The rail transport
3237-586: The Spanish form maíz of the Taíno mahis . The Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus used the common name maize as the species epithet in Zea mays . The name maize is preferred in formal, scientific, and international usage as a common name because it refers specifically to this one grain, unlike corn , which has a complex variety of meanings that vary by context and geographic region. Most countries primarily use
3320-1156: The State has complained of poor funding from its oil revenue federal allocation. Aside oil and gas deposits, the following solid minerals are also found across Abia State: There are six universities in the state: the federal-owned Michael Okpara University of Agriculture at Umudike , the state-owned Abia State University in Uturu , the privately-owned Gregory University in Uturu , Rhema University in Aba , Spiritan University in Umu Nneochi , Clifford University in Owerrinta , and Nigerian British University in Asa. Other higher institutions of learning includes: Uma Ukpai Polytechnic, Asaga-Ohafia, Abia State College of Education (Technical) in Arochukwu , Abia State College Of Health Sciences and Management Technology in Aba , Temple Gate Polytechnic in Aba , Abia State Polytechnic and
3403-562: The US National Science Foundation , Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Energy formed a consortium to sequence the maize genome . The resulting DNA sequence data was deposited immediately into GenBank , a public repository for genome-sequence data. Sequencing of the maize genome was completed in 2008. In 2009, the consortium published results of its sequencing effort. The genome, 85% of which
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3486-534: The US from each of two major insect pests , namely the European corn borer or ECB ( Ostrinia nubilalis ) and corn rootworms ( Diabrotica spp ) western corn rootworm , northern corn rootworm , and southern corn rootworm . Another serious pest is the fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ). The maize weevil ( Sitophilus zeamais ) is a serious pest of stored grain. The Northern armyworm, Oriental armyworm or Rice ear-cutting caterpillar ( Mythimna separata )
3569-590: The Umuahia Diocese (1958) with 70 parishes under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022) and Aba Diocese (1990) with 90 parishes under Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema (2019), both suffragans of Archdiocese of Owerri. Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, as it contributes over 39% of the State's GDP . However, the indigenous oil companies – through the Marginal Fields Programme (MFP) – have not found it easy to attract
3652-455: The baton of government from the former governor, Okezie Ikpeazu . Aba experiences a warm and gloomy wet season as well as a scorching and oppressive dry season. The temperature rarely drops below 61 °F (16 °C) or rises over 91 °F (33 °C) throughout the entire year, fluctuating between 68 and 88 °F (20 and 31 °C). The beach/pool score indicates that the best time of year to visit Aba for hot-weather activities
3735-418: The beans provided nitrogen derived from nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria which live on the roots of beans and other legumes ; and squashes provided ground cover to stop weeds and inhibit evaporation by providing shade over the soil. Sweet corn, harvested earlier than maize grown for grain, grows to maturity in a period of from 60 to 100 days according to variety. An extended sweet corn harvest, picked at
3818-613: The body of Christ. Maize spread to the rest of the world because of its ability to grow in diverse climates. It was cultivated in Spain just a few decades after Columbus's voyages and then spread to Italy, West Africa and elsewhere. By the 17th century, it was a common peasant food in Southern Europe. By the 18th century, it was the chief food of the southern French and Italian peasantry, especially as polenta in Italy. When maize
3901-577: The cob on their own, while those of domesticated maize do not. All maize arose from a single domestication in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago. The oldest surviving maize types are those of the Mexican highlands. Maize spread from this region to the lowlands and over the Americas along two major paths. The centre of domestication was most likely the Balsas River valley of south-central Mexico. Maize reached highland Ecuador at least 8000 years ago. It reached lower Central America by 7600 years ago, and
3984-745: The confederacy was defeated in the early 1900s by British troops in the Anglo-Aro War . After the war, the British incorporated the area into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria ; after the merger, Abia became a centre of anti-colonial resistance with the Women's War that started in Oloko . After independence in 1960, Abia was part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 before
4067-425: The earliest and most successful, developing Reid's Yellow Dent in the 1860s. These early efforts were based on mass selection (a row of plants is grown from seeds of one parent), and the choosing of plants after pollination (which means that only the female parents are known). Later breeding efforts included ear to row selection (C. G. Hopkins c. 1896), hybrids made from selected inbred lines (G. H. Shull, 1909), and
4150-692: The east and southeast respectively, Rivers State to the south and west for 87 km (54 miles), Imo State and Anambra to the west for to the west in the vicinity of the Imo River) for about 18 km and about 104 km respectively. The southernmost part of the State lies within the Niger Delta Swamp Forests , while the rest of the state, lies within the Cross–Niger transition forests . The southern portion gets heavy rainfall of about 2,400 millimetres (94 in) per year and it
4233-486: The end of Kalu's term in 2007, Theodore Orji ( PPA ) defeated Onyema Ugochukwu (PDP) in the 2007 gubernatorial election , to become Abia's next Governor. In 2011, Theodore Orji defected from the PPA to the PDP before being re-elected for another four-year term later that year. In 2015, Okezie Ikpeazu (PDP) was voted in as the ninth Governor of Abia State. Four years later, he won re-election , defeating Uche Ogah of
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#17327944828404316-413: The entire ear is harvested, which requires a separate operation of a maize sheller to remove the kernels from the ear. Whole ears of maize were often stored in corn cribs , sufficient for some livestock feeding uses. Today corn cribs with whole ears, and corn binders, are less common because most modern farms harvest the grain from the field with a combine harvester and store it in bins . The combine with
4399-774: The expansion of the Inca Empire , maize was traded and transported as far south as 40° S in Melinquina, Lácar Department , Argentina, probably brought across the Andes from Chile. After the arrival of Europeans in 1492, Spanish settlers consumed maize, and explorers and traders carried it back to Europe . Spanish settlers much preferred wheat bread to maize. Maize flour could not be substituted for wheat for communion bread, since in Christian belief at that time only wheat could undergo transubstantiation and be transformed into
4482-532: The highly successful double cross hybrids using four inbred lines ( D. F. Jones c. 1918, 1922). University-supported breeding programs were especially important in developing and introducing modern hybrids. Since the 1940s, the best strains of maize have been first-generation hybrids made from inbred strains that have been optimized for specific traits, such as yield, nutrition, drought, pest and disease tolerance. Both conventional cross-breeding and genetic engineering have succeeded in increasing output and reducing
4565-495: The history of the word corn in North America that "[t]o say the word corn is to plunge into the tragi-farcical mistranslations of language and history". Similar to the British usage, the Spanish referred to maize as panizo , a generic term for cereal grains, as did Italians with the term polenta . The British later referred to maize as Turkey wheat, Turkey corn, or Indian corn; Fussell comments that "they meant not
4648-485: The hot and cold seasons isn't very helpful. Abia State is one of the thirty-six States in Nigeria, and has about seventeen Local Government Areas , out of the 774 Local Government Areas that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria . Abia State was created on the 27th of August 1991, during the government of General Ibrahim Babangida . The State is located in the south-eastern part of Nigeria. Abia state
4731-557: The indigenous peoples of the South-eastern part of Nigeria, make up 95% of the population. Their traditional language, Igbo , is in widespread use. Ibibio is spoken as a minority language, especially in Arochukwu English is also widely spoken and serves as the official language in governance and business. In Abia State over 3 million people are mainly Christians . According to there are 689,668 Catholics (2020) in
4814-613: The licenses for the wells in the State, and has concentrated on the estimated 50 wells that are considered high-yield. The state produced 36,000 barrels of crude oil per day; "Imoturu produces 23,000 barrels per day and Isimili flow station produces over 8,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Then four oil wells in Izaku go to Obigo flow station. About 30 oil wells from my village go to Umuri, and about eight oil wells from Umurie go to Afam", said Samuel Okezie Nwogu, Chairman of Abia State Oil Producing Development Area Commission (ASOPADEC). However,
4897-419: The machinery. The combine separates the husk and the cob, keeping only the kernels. Drying is vital to prevent or at least reduce damage by mould fungi, which contaminate the grain with mycotoxins . Aspergillus and Fusarium spp. are the most common mycotoxin sources, and accordingly important in agriculture. If the moisture content of the harvested grain is too high, grain dryers are used to reduce
4980-413: The milk stage, can be arranged either by planting a selection of varieties which ripen earlier and later, or by planting different areas at fortnightly intervals. Maize harvested as a grain crop can be kept in the field a relatively long time, even months, after the crop is ready to harvest; it can be harvested and stored in the husk leaves if kept dry. Before World War II , most maize in North America
5063-427: The moisture content by blowing heated air through the grain. This can require large amounts of energy in the form of combustible gases ( propane or natural gas ) and electricity to power the blowers. Maize is widely cultivated throughout the world, and a greater weight of maize is produced each year than any other grain. In 2020, total world production was 1.16 billion tonnes , led by the United States with 31.0% of
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#17327944828405146-501: The need for cropland, pesticides, water and fertilizer. There is conflicting evidence to support the hypothesis that maize yield potential has increased over the past few decades. This suggests that changes in yield potential are associated with leaf angle, lodging resistance, tolerance of high plant density, disease/pest tolerance, and other agronomic traits rather than increase of yield potential per individual plant. Certain varieties of maize have been bred to produce many ears; these are
5229-400: The new crop. The rise in maize cultivation 500 to 1,000 years ago in what is now the southeastern United States corresponded with a decline of freshwater mussels , which are very sensitive to environmental changes. Because it is cold-intolerant, in the temperate zones maize must be planted in the spring. Its root system is generally shallow, so the plant is dependent on soil moisture. As
5312-533: The nine Dioceses of Aba led by Bishop Christian Ugwuzor (2011), Aba Ngwa North (2007) led by Bishop Nathan Kanu (2009), Arochukwu/Ohafia led by Bishop Johnson Onuoha , Ikwanuo led by Bishop Chigozirim Onyegbule , Isiala Ngwa led by Bishop Temple Nwaogu , Isial-Ngwa South (2007) led by Bishop Isaac Nwaobia , Isikwuato (2005) led by Bishop Manasses Chijiokem Okere (2013), Ukwa (1994) led by Bishop Samuel Kelechi Eze (2004), and Umuahia led by Bishop Geoffrey Obijuru Ibeabuchi (2019). [5] Below
5395-465: The north. In the United States, maize was first cultivated at several sites in New Mexico and Arizona about 4,100 years ago. During the first millennium AD, maize cultivation spread more widely in the areas north. In particular, the large-scale adoption of maize agriculture and consumption in eastern North America took place about A.D. 900. Native Americans cleared large forest and grassland areas for
5478-760: The presence of Starlink genetically modified corn, which had been approved only for animal consumption. The maize genus Zea is relatively closely related to sorghum , both being in the PACMAD clade of Old World grasses, and much more distantly to rice and wheat , which are in the other major group of grasses, the BOP clade . It is closely related to Tripsacum , gamagrass. various grasses e.g. fescue , ryegrass Hordeum (barley) Triticum (wheat) Oryza (rice) Pennisetum (fountaingrasses) Sorghum (sorghum) Tripsacum (gamagrass) Zea mays (maize) other Zea species ( teosintes ) Maize
5561-544: The region was split and it became part of the East Central State . Less than two months afterwards, the former Eastern Region attempted to secede in the three-year long Nigerian Civil War with Abia as a part of the secessionist state of Biafra . At the war's end and for the reunification of Nigeria, the East Central State was merged as one until 1976 when Imo State (including now-Abia) was formed by
5644-459: The requisite funding and infrastructural capacity, to explore some of the marginal oil fields which are about 50 in the State. The manufacturing sector only accounts for 2% of the GDP . The industrial centre of the state is in Aba , with textile manufacturing, pharmaceuticals , soap , plastics , cement , footwear , and cosmetics . In addition to the above, Abia State Government has just built
5727-457: The rest of the State. Other important geographical features are the Imo and Aba Rivers which flow along the Abia's western and southern borders, respectively. Modern-day Abia State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, but it is predominantly inhabited by the Igbo people . In the pre-colonial period, what is now Abia State was a part of Arochukwu -based Aro Confederacy before
5810-491: The source of the " baby corn " used as a vegetable in Asian cuisine . A fast-flowering variety named mini-maize was developed to aid scientific research, as multiple generations can be obtained in a single year. One strain called olotón has evolved a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing microbes, which provides the plant with 29%–82% of its nitrogen. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) operates
5893-415: The stalk. Maize is monoecious , with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. At the top of the stem is the tassel, an inflorescence of male flowers; their anthers release pollen, which is dispersed by wind . Like other pollen, it is an allergen , but most of it falls within a few meters of the tassel and the risk is largely restricted to farm workers. The female inflorescence, some way down
5976-419: The states of Enugu and Ebonyi , Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the southeast, and Rivers State to the south. Abia is the only Southeastern state that has boundaries with the other four Southeastern states in Nigeria. It takes its name from the acronym for four of the state's most populated regions: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo (Afikpo was later joined with
6059-425: The stem from the tassel, is first seen as a silk, a bundle of soft tubular hairs , one for the carpel in each female flower, which develops into a kernel (often called a seed. Botanically, as in all grasses, it is a fruit, fused with the seed coat to form a caryopsis ) when it is pollinated. A whole female inflorescence develops into an ear or corncob , enveloped by multiple leafy layers or husks. The ear leaf
6142-608: The term maize , and the name corn is used mainly in the United States and a handful of other English-speaking countries. In countries that primarily use the term maize , the word corn may denote any cereal crop, varying geographically with the local staple , such as wheat in England and oats in Scotland or Ireland. The usage of corn for maize started as a shortening of " Indian corn " in 18th-century North America. The historian of food Betty Fussell writes in an article on
6225-472: The total (table). China produced 22.4% of the global total. Many pests can affect maize growth and development, including invertebrates, weeds, and pathogens. Maize is susceptible to a large number of fungal, bacterial, and viral plant diseases . Those of economic importance include diseases of the leaf, smuts such as corn smut , ear rots and stalk rots. Northern corn leaf blight damages maize throughout its range, whereas banded leaf and sheath blight
6308-537: The transition to democracy in 1998. In 1999, Nigeria returned to democracy, and Orji Uzor Kalu was elected governor on the platform of the People's Democratic Party . Consequently, he was sworn in on 29 May 1999. In 2003, when it was time for fresh elections, Kalu re-contested on the platform of the PDP and got a second mandate to govern (the Constitution of Nigeria limits Governors to two terms in office). At
6391-500: The two is largely controlled by differences in just two genes, called grassy tillers-1 ( gt1 , A0A317YEZ1 ) and teosinte branched-1 ( tb1 , Q93WI2 ). In the late 1930s, Paul Mangelsdorf suggested that domesticated maize was the result of a hybridization event between an unknown wild maize and a species of Tripsacum , a related genus; this has been refuted by modern genetic testing . In 2004, John Doebley identified Balsas teosinte, Zea mays subsp. parviglumis , native to
6474-589: The valleys of the Colombian Andes between 7000 and 6000 years ago. The earliest maize plants grew a single, small ear per plant. The Olmec and Maya cultivated maize in numerous varieties throughout Mesoamerica ; they cooked, ground and processed it through nixtamalization . By 3000 years ago, maize was central to Olmec culture, including their calendar, language, and myths. The Mapuche people of south-central Chile cultivated maize along with quinoa and potatoes in pre-Hispanic times. Before
6557-665: Was elected governor later that year under the Third Nigerian Republic . Onu governed for nearly two years before Sani Abacha ended the Third Republic and reinstated full military rule. Under the Abacha regime, three more Military Administrators ( Chinyere Ike Nwosu , Temi Ejoor , and Moses Fasanya ) were appointed before Abacha's death and the accession of Abdulsalami Abubakar . Abubakar appointed one more Military Administrator, Anthony Obi , before starting
6640-519: Was created out of Imo State, and the two sister states share boundaries. Abia State is known as one of the constituent states of the Niger Delta region. The state has its capital at Umuahia while the commercial city of the state is Aba. Abia State is also referred to as God's own state . The name "Abia" is an abbreviation of four of Abia state's densely populated regions Aba , Bende , Isuikwuato , and Afikpo . The Igbo people , who are one of
6723-458: Was harvested by hand. This involved a large number of workers and associated social events (husking or shucking bees ). From the 1890s onward, some machinery became available to partially mechanize the processes, such as one- and two-row mechanical pickers (picking the ear, leaving the stover ) and corn binders, which are reaper-binders designed specifically for maize. The latter produce sheaves that can be shocked . By hand or mechanical picker,
6806-425: Was introduced into Western farming systems, it was welcomed for its productivity. However, a widespread problem of malnutrition soon arose wherever it had become a staple food . Indigenous Americans had learned to soak maize in alkali -water — made with ashes and lime — since at least 1200–1500 BC, creating the process of nixtamalization. They did this to liberate the corn hulls, but coincidentally it also liberated
6889-466: Was one of the 26 genetically engineered food crops grown commercially in 2016. The vast majority of this is Bt maize . Genetically modified maize has been grown since 1997 in the United States and Canada; by 2016, 92% of the US maize crop was genetically modified. As of 2011, herbicide-tolerant maize and insect-resistant maize varieties were each grown in over 20 countries. In September 2000, up to $ 50 million worth of food products were recalled due to
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