Visually from the road can you tell the difference from cow corn and sweet corn?

Answer 1

There are at least 6 main classes of corn grown.
they are
1. field corn (Yellow Dent) or what you are calling cow corn although it is used for a lot of other things in addition to cow feed. This corn is used to make yellow corn meal for human consumption. It is the predominant type for ethanol production for fuel. Driving by it in the field it is generally between 7 to 10 feet tall, and very uniform in height under normal conditions.
2. Sweet corn that is higher in sugar and lower in starch that would normally be 6 feet or less in height and usually less uniform than field corn.
3. Pop corn which is generally much like sweet corn in appearance.
4. Flint corn which is similar to field corn but has a much harder kernel and a much more limited use.
5. White corn which is very similar to field corn in appearance. This corn is the predominant type for production of white corn flour for tortillas, etc.
6. Indian corn which is used for decoration because of the varied colors of the kernels. I believe one variation of this is used to produce blue corn flour.
7. A little known type called husk corn where each kernel is surrounded by a husk rather than the whole ear being encased in husks.
8. Tassel corn where the corn kernels are not produced in an ear but a rather produced in the tassel part of the plant.

Answer 2

There's no difference in the leaves between sweet corn and field corn. When the corn is stressed because of lack of moisture, both will have "spikier" leaves that roll up.

There is no difference in the tassles between sweet corn and field corn, either.

Sweet corn is soft because it's not mature. Immature field corn is also soft. Sweet corn is usually an earlier variety, because early in the season, sweet corn demands a premium price. Field corn is usually a later variety, because the longer the growing season, the greater the yield.

Both sweet corn and field corn is round-topped when it is immature, and will have a dent when it is hard and mature. Most varieties of field corn produce an ear with more rows and more kernels per row, but this depends on both the variety and the particular ear. Corn grown at the edge of the field will be shorter, and have smaller ears.

When I was growing up on the farm, we ate both field corn and sweet corn as roasting ears. I preferred the field corn, as the sweet corn tended to have less corn flavor, and be sweeter than I liked. At that point, the sweet corn eaten by people in town was about as sweet as the field corn we were eating, because it lost sweetness rapidly after being picked.

Since then, they've developed super-sweet corn. It isn't really any sweeter than regular sweet corn, but the sugars in the kernels don't rapidly change into starch when picked.

Sweet corn can be white (Silver Queen or Silverado), yellow (Precocious or Bodacious), or a mix (Quickie or Salt and Pepper). There are probably blue and red sweet corns, too, but they aren't very popular. Field corns come in all colors, too, but all popular varieties are yellow.

Nobody is going to go to the state pen for stealing a dozen ears of corn. That would be a misdemeanor. On the other hand, a misdemeanor conviction can dog you for decades, and make it impossible to obtain a job or a loan that's really important to you.

Answer 3

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RE:
Visually from the road can you tell the difference from cow corn and sweet corn?

Answer 4

Cow Corn

Answer 5

You can easily tell the difference between field corn and sweet corn from the road, especially if they are planted in the same field. It is a common practice today for a farmer to plant a few rows of sweet corn when he plants his field corn. Many of the seed companies will donate sweet corn seed to farmers in appreciation for their business. The sweet corn will be shorter and nearly always earlier than field corn. Most farmers are growing this for their families and for canning or freezing. They are not usually growing it to sell. They generally have more than enough for their needs and will generously share with neighbors and friends. They will even share with strangers if you stop and ask, but you might get shot at if you just jump the fence and start helping yourself.

Answer 6

You can normal tell by the colouration of the tassle




- With response to the post below me, I can't say I've ever seen a company give out sweet corn seed while buying the other supplies. Normally planting it along a field is a bad idea because the outer few rows tend to get mauled by raccoons and deer, everyone I know plants sweet corn in gardens near to the houses. Plus the additional water once in a while during a hot year does wonders for your yield.

Answer 7

Yes, generally sweet corn stalks or plants are much smaller than the cattle corn, ripen much sooner and look more scrawney with not nearly as full leaf pattern as cattle corn, or "cow corn" as you call it.
Also, sweet or "people corn is usually planted in neat rows with walking space between for access for harvest, where the other corn is planted much closer together.

Answer 8

my dad got arrested one time for stealing sweat corn, and yes I can tell the difference, but since that happened I just plant my own, and the deer eat most of it, try it next year so much fun.

Answer 9

the leaves are the easiest way to tell
cow corn the leaves are straight and sweet corn is sorta wavy looking

Answer 10

no
sweet is white an d
reg is yellow