Zea mays

Krug Dent is one of the earliest named commercial dent corn varieties in the United States, first released in 1921 by George W. Krug of El Paso, Illinois. The story of Krug Dent begins in 1906 when Krug, a farmer with a 100-acre estate, began crossing Improved World’s Fair and Iowa Gold Mine lines with several bushels of promising seed purchased at a local farm sale. Over the next decade, Krug painstakingly selected ears based on their weight, lustre, smoothness, minimal starchiness and high oil content. His variety quickly stood out for yield and quality. In 1919, Krug entered his seed into county farm bureau yield tests and topped the field in both 1920 and 1921, out-competing 118 other growers. Though Krug never sought to profit from the variety that bore his name, Krug Dent quickly gained national attention and was adopted by farmers across the country for its productivity and consistency.

This is a traditional yellow dent corn, most commonly grown for coarse meal, grits or animal feed. Unlike sweetcorn, its tough outer skin remains firm after cooking, so it must be soaked, nixtamalised or milled before use. The kernels produce a richly flavoured, golden meal, valued by bakers, brewers and homesteaders alike.

Direct sow once soil temperatures stay above 15 °C. Plant seeds 2–3 cm deep and space 25–30 cm apart in rows 75 cm apart. Always grow in blocks of four or more rows to ensure proper pollination. Krug Dent matures in 81–90 days depending on climate. Harvest when the husks are dry and papery, then remove the ears and allow them to continue drying in a well-ventilated space.

Livingseeds recommends a minimum planting of 40 plants. For seed saving, grow 80–100 plants to ensure proper genetic diversity and long-term viability of this historic cultivar.

Read the detailed story here: http://bulbnrose.x10.mx/Heredity/WallaceKrugCorn1956.html and here: http://www.allendrake.com/elpasohistory/epstory/pgtx276.htm