Neosinte-Teosinte Seeds

Ancient Grass meets Modern Corn

'Neosinte' represents a forever changing dynamic population of a wild corn relative using seeds produced from my grow outs of the Northern Highland teosinte plant and a cross with heirloom sweet corn. Done over the course of twenty years, this specific seed source was used to create a diversity of wild corn with characteristics that vary tremendously from plant to plant. The goal was to create an outwardly expanding population free of selection which would allow corn to naturalize on its own as well as create a healthy corn substitute free of breeding. It is the opposite of what is 'normal' breeding and instead is focused on maximum diversity not uniformity. 

Grass like in structure, Neosinte can grow in more drought conditions and produces a much lower yield per plant compared to regular corn. It becomes a grain plant more like wheat with dense clustering of cobs with kernels that can be exposed on a thin stalk wrapped in the cob. The kernels on a single cob or plant can contain all the corn we use today including: crinkly seed sweet corn, popcorn that actually pops, and field or dent corn. Neosinte can be ground and used as a corn flour substitute. More on its nutrition will be published later.

The seeds in the packets below contain enough diversity for you to continue to the same line of population or if you must a means to breed specific forms of neosinte or other corn you may find interest in.  For you plant breeders out there, the chances for this cross to occur under hand pollination is 1:500.  I was very fortunate that I was able to produce this cross in quantity and continue it since I  began harvesting the seeds on my farm in greater numbers every year since 2020.  Its been a long process and thanks to not listening to experts in the field of corn breeding, I made huge progress very quickly. 

One option is 100 seeds plus 4 separate packets itemized below.    Two option is mixed 200 seeds. 

Option One: Includes 4 packets of Teosinte selections of Neosinte plus 100 seeds: 

Northern Highland Teosinte-12 seeds Zea mays var. mexicana, original cross with no kernals like corn. Possibly not true to the species.

Northern Popcorn Teosinte- 12 seeds Seed selection that pops and holds it kernals in a small cob. Very primitive form of wild corn. Multi-husks clustered.

Ancient Wild Corn-12 seeds Seed selection of teonsinte cross with double rows of kernals white and multi-colored mixed. Wild selection clustered multi-husks.

All Purple: Leaves -Cobs-12 seeds Seed selection from purple plants with purple ears. Kernals can be many shapes and colors but foliage appears dominant.

PLUS 100 seeds mixed of various crosses saved with the popping corn selections as much as possible

or

Option Two: Mixed 200 seed Packet-All shapes and sizes including popcorn, sweet corn and dent corn from a mixed population impossible to nail down in terms of its traits. Includes some purple leaf plants and small and wild type seeds wrapped into the pods

Free shipping on these two products. 

Article I wrote related to this selection:      http://biologicalenrich.blog/2024/09/13/waves-on-an-ocean-from-monoculture-to-diversiculture/ 

Article posted on growing done in September of 2023: https://oikostreecrops.com/the-teosinte-plant/

2024 Grow Out- It was one of those years I discovered the effects of locusts. Yes, old school locusts. We have them in Michigan but normally never in any quantity. In my case with the use of a black poly woven landscape fabric and the heat it generated, the locusts found it very nice to bask and then go and eat the silk as it emerged. From there they went back to basking and then mated. I didn't think too much about it until I began seeing them eating the silk all the way back to the husks. This meant a cob with no kernels. It was too late to do a spray of any magnitude. I doubled down on my sorting and reselecting this winter while at the same time read about organic controls to prevent this from happening again. The sorting takes several hours but for me it is relaxing in the dead of winter dreaming of the summer of teosinte. 

Some of the final dehusking to get the kernels is done in an old Vita-Mix. The version of ancient corn has much of its original Zea mays var. mexicana in its expressions making it difficult to take the seeds off the cobs. But luckily most kernals drop free after using the Dybvig seed cleaner.

In 2025 I increased my planting areas and will keep a more vigilant eye for the old school locusts.