Footpath across maize field, Wycomb

Looking north-west along the footpath through a field of maize, near Wycomb, Leicestershire, UK.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize):

Maize (Zea mays L. ssp. mays, which is known in many English-speaking countries as corn) is a grass domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The Aztecs and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout central and southern Mexico, to cook or grind in a process called nixtamalization. Later the crop spread through much of the Americas. Between 1250 A.D. and 1700 A.D. nearly the whole continent had gained access to the crop. Any significant or dense populations in the region developed a great trade network based on surplus and varieties of maize crops. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, explorers and traders carried maize back to Europe and introduced it to other countries through trade. Its ability to grow in distinct climates, and its use were highly valued, thus spreading to the rest of the world.

The apex of the stem ends in the tassel, an inflorescence of male flowers. When the tassel is mature and conditions are suitably warm and dry, anthers on the tassel dehisce and release pollen. Maize pollen is anemophilous (dispersed by wind) and because of its large settling velocity most pollen falls within a few meters of the tassel. Each silk may become pollinated to produce one kernel of maize. Young ears can be consumed raw, with the cob and silk, but as the plant matures (usually during the summer months) the cob becomes tougher and the silk dries to inedibility. By the end of the growing season, the kernels dry out and become difficult to chew without cooking them tender first in boiling water. Modern farming techniques in developed countries usually rely on dense planting, which produces one large ear per stalk.

• Europe
• UK
• Britain
• England
• East Midlands
• Leicestershire
• Field
• Countryside
• Biota
• Life
• Vitae
• Eukaryota
• Green
• Rural
• Blue sky
• Plantae
• Plants
• Magnoliophyta
• Flowering Plants
• Angiosperms
• Liliopsida
• Monocotyledons
• Footpath
• Poales
• Poaceae
• True grasses
• Zea
• Zea mays
• Maize
• Corn
• Wycomb

• B+W UV 010 MRC

• Nikon Capture NX 2

-0.55 exposure compensation in CNX2
Curves adjustment in overlay blend mode used to darken and increase saturation of sky
Color Control Point used to increase saturation and contrast of maize
Top of image cropped off in CNX2