New super sweet corn variety, ready to eat, no need to boil or bake

The super sweet corn variety SSW18 developed by the research team of the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture is milky white, soft, sweeter than fruit, and can be eaten immediately when picked, without any processing required.

A young person enjoyed experiencing SSW18 super sweet corn right in the field© Provided by Tuoi Tre

Exchange with Tuoi Tre Online, MSc Vu Thi Bich Hanh - Head of upland crop research department, Institute of Crop Research and Development, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture - is pleased to announce that the research team has successfully grown super sweet corn (SSW18).

According to Ms. Hanh, the super sweet corn variety SSW18 is also known as fruit corn due to its milky white color, softness, melting skin and sweetness ranging from 17.5 - 18.5 degrees Brix. The sweet seeds are similar to ripe fruits like watermelon and can be eaten fresh directly after being picked from the tree, without having to be processed like boiling, steaming, or baking.

In particular, super sweet corn is selected and bred using traditional sexual hybridization methods, so users do not need to worry like other genetically modified corn varieties. Besides, because it is grown for direct consumption, this type of organic corn is not sprayed with pesticides or plant protection chemicals.

“Our target audience is people who want to experience healthy products or experience travel. Corn can be ground to make juice, milk, smoothies... SSW18 corn adds beta carotene, vitamins...", she shared.

This super sweet corn variety continues to be researched, perfecting the production process, selecting cultivation areas to apply high technology to improve corn quality, sweetness and good resistance to pests.

The super sweet corn stalks are white, the corn kernels are not wrinkled, and are even rows. But with the advantage of high sweetness, the yield of this type of corn is not as high as sticky corn or regular corn© Provided by Tuoi Tre

Before being released to the market, the super sweet corn variety SSW18 achieved the 90% desired by researchers. Issues such as soil quality, climate, and farmers' farming processes will continue to be improved© Provided by Tuoi Tre

Through many experiments, super sweet corn SSW18 grows strong and fast. The time from planting to harvesting fresh corn is 70-80 days depending on the region, crop, and weather. Fresh corn yield reaches 10-12 tons/ha. In fact, the group is developing this fruit corn variety in highland areas with cool climates such as Moc Chau (Son La), Sapa, Bac Ha (Lao Cai)...

"These are traditional corn growing areas, with good tourism development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction and can become a local specialty crop," Ms. Hanh shared.

In addition, researchers believe that by being self-sufficient in corn varieties, technology, and production processes, Vietnam will be less dependent on sugar corn imports from the Philippines, the US, and Thailand.

Specialized equipment checks the sweetness of corn to ensure the quality of corn when harvested© Provided by Tuoi Tre

It took researchers 7-8 years to achieve today's results. When they have finished SSW18 fruit corn, scientists hope that many businesses will invest to make this type of corn more popular with people.© Provided by Tuoi Tre

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