Zea mays (Nitrogen Fixing Corn)
Plant Family
Gramineae or Poaceae (Grass family)
Binomial Name
Zea mays
Common (Vernacular) Names
Nitrogen fixing corn (maize).
Plant Characteristics
Endemicity. There are reportedly about 40 old landrace varieties of corn (maize), originating from Central America that are similar to the nitrogen fixing varieties described here.
Growth Habit. These varieties of corn produce aerial prop roots or “fingers” on the lower joints of their stems. These can exude a thick mucus-like gel that harbors beneficial symbiotic bacteria. The bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen into a chemical form that the plants can absorb and utilize. This process is called nitrogen fixation. Gel production and the efficiency of nitrogen fixation is affected by environmental factors. More gel is produced during cooler temperatures and periods of fog or high humidity. During periods of high temperatures or drought the mucus may be absent.
Corn (maize) is the world’s most productive cereal crop. Scientists have long sought varieties of corn that could fix nitrogen and are conducting research to determine if the traits for fixation can be bred into commercial cultivars. If successful, these efforts could reduce the crop’s high demand for artificial fertilizers, which are energy intensive to produce, costly and contribute to water pollution and eutrophication.
 Immature Prop Roots of Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Mucus Dripping From Aerial Prop Roots of Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
One giant variety of nitrogen fixing corn can grow much higher than modern corn cultivars. The potted specimen in this photo taken on August 14, 2023 had reached a height of approximately five meters (15 feet) and was still growing, almost to the height of a several year old betel nut palm growing near it. The corn was growing without fertilization in a soil mixture predominantly composed of volcanic cinders and soil discarded from our nursery operations.
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Plant Next to Betel Nut Palm |
Inflorescence. The tassels, silk and ears of nitrogen fixing corn are similar to modern corn. These photos were taken in August 2023 at our facility in Discovery Harbour, Kau District of Hawai`i island.
 Male Inflorescence (Tassel) on Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Styles (Silk) of Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Female Inflorescence (Ear) of Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
Seeds. There are apparently many landraces (cultivars developed at specific localities by traditional farming methods) of nitrogen fixing corn originating from Mexico Their seeds (kernels) come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, including white, red, pink, blue, gray and black.
Seeds of Mexican Landraces
Mexican landraces in our seed bank are shown in the photos below. Most of these are available for sale from our ONLINE STORE . There is high interest in these seeds and our inventories are low and fluctuate rapidly.
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, Yellow-Orange Landrace from Oaxaca, Mexico |
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, Blue-Black Landrace from Oaxaca, Mexico |
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, Giant White Landrace from Southern Mexico |
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, White Landrace from Oaxaca, Mexico |
Additions in May 2024:
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, Blue-Black Landrace, Type 1, From La Fe, Mexico |
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds, Yellow-Orange Landrace from Chiapas, Mexico |
Addition in April 2025:
 Corn Seeds, Jala Solo Giant Variety |
These rare seeds are of a strain of nitrogen-fixing corn known as ‘Jala Solo’, that originates in the Jala Valley of Nayarit, Mexico and grows in the rich volcanic soil and abundant moisture of the area. It was originally documented by Harvard University in 1952 and determined to be a Pre-Hispanic strain that evolved from a cross of Oloton x Comiteco x Tabloncillo. This variety is one of the giant strains, reaching heights of 7 m (25+ feet). It is a long-season type, which can require a growing season of 7-8 months. Of particular interest is also the size of the actual ears of corn that it produces, which can exceed 0.6 m (24 inches) in length.
Performance of the Jaya Solo landrace. Several plants of this variety were grown at the Hilo farm and our facility in Discovery Harbour in 2025. As of late September, the plants at both locations reached a height of only about two meters and began to form ears. Most of the plants d0 not have the aerial roots typical of nitrogen fixing varieties. Jala Solo is reportedly a long season variety and the onset of severe drought conditions late in the season may have reduced growth and prevented development of the nitrogen fixing aerial roots. Ears typical of Jala Solo formed on the Hilo plants but the seeds were apparently consumed by odents or ungulates. As of this writing small ears were forming on the plants at Discovery Harbour but it appears that they were not well pollinated and will have few seeds.
 Damaged Cob of Jala Solo Corn from Hilo |
 Damaged Cob of Jala Solo Corn from Hilo |
Research and Field Trials
Demand for our nitrogen fixing corn seeds and information about them has continued to grow. The Mexican seeds are costly and their continuing availability is in doubt. As we were attempting to fill international orders many restrictions and prohibitions on corn seeds originating from southern Mexico were encountered. These stem from concerns about corn wilt and other diseases that may be present in Mexico but have not been reported in Hawai`i. These circumstances caused us to consider finding another growing areas on Hawai`i island for seed production.
Growing Areas in Hawai`i
Discovery Harbour, Kaʻū District, Hawai`i Island
We originally did not intend to conduct research on nitrogen fixing varieties of corn and no space was available at our Discovery Harbour site for formal field trials. Germination testing of incoming seed lots from southern Mexico via was be carried out before offering them for use in educational programs and sale. Several seedlings from the tests were planted at our Discovery Harbour facility for observations. These produced cobs, some of them had viable seeds and these were offered for sale.
The photos below are of the first corn of this variety known to have been produced in Hawai`i. At the time these plants bloomed and were pollinated no other corn was known to be growing in the area (Discovery Harbour, Hawai`i). Only several plants were grown. The small number of plants in the growing area probably resulted in low pollination and kernel formation. Seeds from these plants had a high germination rate and very limited quantities of them were available from our ONLINE STORE. Some of the seeds were also grown on a research partner’s farm at Hilo, Hawai`i in 2023.
 First Cobs of Nitrogen Fixing Corn from Hawaii |
In 2023 several additional seedlings from germination testing were planted in the spring at our facility in a large whiskey barrel container (volcanic soils in our area are probably too shallow to grow corn). No fertilizers were added to the soil. A seedling from the giant nitrogen fixing corn variety reached a height of more than 5 m (15 feet). Shorter plants were also grown from the blue colored variety. No evidence of wilt disease was observed.
Aerial prop roots grew out of the lower stem joints on all of the plants and these usually exuded a mucus like material until the rains ended in the summer and the area entered into extreme drought. While the soil in the growing container was kept watered during this time the mucus dried up and did not return. Some of the tips of the projections turned downward and entered the soil forming roots on the ends. These observations suggest that the plant’s ability to fix nitrogen could be impaired in the absence of rainfall.
 Corn Plant with Rooted Aerial Props |
All of the plants produced small, deformed ears with few seeds. The plants are apparently not pollinated, severely stressed by drought conditions and appeared to be dying at the time harvest.
 Deformed Ears of Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
Ocean View, Kau District, Hawai`i Island
In late 2023 we opened our Moana Experimental Farm at Ocean View in the Kau District of Hawai`i island for field trials of our other research crops. The farm is at an elevation of 600 m (2000 ft) and in very windy area not suitable for for growing corn in the ground. There is little soil at the site, which is on a recent lava flow and is mostly covered by crushed lava rock from grading and leveling activities. However, it is far from other known corn growing areas so cross pollination with other corn varieties is unlikely. In May of 2024 we planted seedlings of several landraces in large containers an attempt to produce more Hawaiian grown seed and to conduct a small study on the effects of fertilization.
For the study of fertilization seedlings of various corn landraces were planted in large pots of an unfertilized commercial topsoil mixture consisting of volcanic cinders, cinder fines and ash, and macadamia nut shells. Soil amendments of lime and a commercial innoculant were mixed into the top layer of the soil. The pots were enclosed by wire fencing material to help prevent the plants from being uprooted by the wind. For each landrace, three seedlings were planted in each of two pots. One pot was not fertilized, the other was fertilized at the time of planting (early May 2024) with a complete commercial fertilizer. By late July there was a significant difference in the growth rates between the unfertilized and fertilized plants. For all landraces the fertilized plants grew taller and had a more robust appearance. Comparative photos of two landraces showing the difference in growth between the fertilized and unfertilized groups are shown below.
 Oaxaca Yellow-Orange Corn Seedlings in Unfertilized Group |
 Oaxaca Yellow-Orange Corn Seedlings in Fertilized Group |
 Oaxaca Blue Type 2 Corn Seedlings in Unfertilized Group |
 Oaxaca Blue Type 2 Seedlings in Fertilized Group |
The strong trade winds, infrequent rains and highly pervious planting soil at this site have placed the plants under severe stress. Under these drying conditions none of the plants have produced mucus on their aerial roots and they are probably unable to fix their own nitrogen. For optimal growth under these conditions they apparently require applications of fertilizer to provide nitrogen and other nutrients missing from the soil mixture in the pots.
The winds have toppled and repeatedly uprooted most of the plants. As of this writing in mid-August 2024 most of the plants have bloomed and some are forming cobs. So far it appears that most of the cobs will have few seeds, probably resulting from poor pollination conditions. While seed production from this site may be low the seeds may be better adapted to drought conditions than those grown areas with more humid, wetter climates. We may offer some of these for sale from our online store.
None of the plants appeared to have wilt diseases or significant pest infestations.
On August 25, 2024 the winds from Hurricane Hone blew most of the corn plants down and out of their pots ending our field trials at this site.
Hilo, Hawai`i Island
In late spring of 2023 we provided seeds of the giant white and blue colored Mexican landraces, a large pink variety of the corn from Discovery Harbour to our student intern for a high school project. These were grown in unfertilized soil by a volunteer farmer in Hilo, Hawai`i. The farm is at an elevation of about 430 m (1400 ft). Hilo probably receives more rainfall than any other city in the United States.
2023 Hilo Crop. Seeds of all varieties planted at the Hilo farm grew very well but the size of the planting was small because of the limited amounts of seed available.. The fingers maintained mucus coatings throughout the growing season. The ears were much fuller with seeds than those from the Discovery Harbour plants.
The color, shape and size of the ears and kernels was highly variable (see photo). Seeds were collected separately from each ear and average seed weights were recorded after drying. Very limited quantities of these seeds was available from our ONLINE STORE and most of these have sold out. Photos of the seeds and weight data accompanied each seed lot listing in the store. The viability of the seeds was typically greater than 80%.
 Nitrogen Fixing Corn from Hilo, Hawai`i |
2024 Hilo Crop. In the spring of 2023 we reviewed the growing area with the farmer to ensure that no nearby farms were planning to grow corn, which could cross pollinate with the nitrogen fixing corn. Following this, seeds from the 2023 Hilo crop were planted and were grown with open pollination. Some of the corn was intercropped with moringa trees and the only fertilizers applied were animal manure from goats raised on the farm. No pesticides are used on the corn. Corn produced from this farm is non-GMO and probably meets the requirements for organic production but it will not be certified.
By mid-July the first harvesting of this corn began and it will be continuing into September. The ears are shucked and dried in a room on the farm with a dehumidifier. After drying, the cobs are sorted into groups of similar form and color, and then the kernels are removed from the cobs, counted, weighed, bagged and transported to our seed bank in Discovery Harbour. There the seeds are inspected, cleaned and further dried down to a level suitable for freezing. No pesticides are ever applied. We freeze all of the seeds to control insect pests and ensure viability in long term storage.
Photos of some of the various types of corn from the 2024 harvest at Hilo are below. As more seeds become available, photos and additional data about them will be posted here. Descriptions with photos of the processed seeds in each lot are found in our ONLINE STORE listings.
 Giant White Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Red Nitrogen Fixing Corn from Hilo |
 Blue Black Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Giant Pink Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Multicolor Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
 Blue and White Nitrogen Fixing Corn |
2025 Hilo Crop. This year space for growing nitrogen fixing corn varieties at our facilities in the Kau District (Hawaiian Oceanview and Discovery Harbour) of Hawai`i island was very limited, and the area has had extreme drought conditions, so production of seeds was mostly at our research partner’s farm in Hilo. The largest planting was of yellow-orange varieties for potential sales to commercial growers. Smaller amounts of other varieties were grown to replenish inventories in our seed bank.
All of the corn varieties from Hilo were grown in open pollination. Despite unusually dry conditions in the area, all the corn varieties planted there grew well and had the mucus coated aerial roots indicative of active nitrogen fixation. Most of the corn was harvested in late August. We received the seeds in late September, and they will processed in the same manner as the 2024 crop. Germination tests will also be performed.
 Mucus Coated Aerial Corn Roots Hilo 19JUN25 |
 Cobs of Multicolored Nitrogen Fixing Corn from Hilo Harvested August 2025 |
 Cobs of Yellow-Orange Nitrogen Fixing Corn from Hilo Harvested August 2025 |
Seeds from the 2025 harvest:
 Blue-Black Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
 Giant Pink Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
 Multicolored Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
 Red Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
 Red-Black Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
 Yellow-Orange Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds |
Performance of New Jersey varieties. We also planted seeds from a grower in New Jersey to confirm that they had the characteristics of nitrogen fixing corn (prop roots near the soil coated with mucus). These are the first seeds of nitrogen fixing corn that we have obtained from a growing area with a temperate climate. They may be of interest to growers interested in seeds from short season areas.
Plants grown from the New Jersey seeds at Hilo had the characteristics of nitrogen fixing corn. Some of the ears had seeds similar to the seeds of the parent plants, while others had new colors. These were probably the products of crosses with other varieties at the farm. Photos of the cobs and seeds from plants grown from the New Jersey seeds are below. Limited supplies of the seeds will be available for purchase from our ONLINE STORE.
 Ears of New Jersey Nitrogen Fixing Corn Grown in Hilo |
Seeds from plants of nitrogen fixing corn plants grown from seeds originating in New Jersey
 Small Yellow-Brown Nitrogen Fixing New Jersey Corn Seeds from Hilo |
 Small Red-Orange Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds from Hilo |
 Red-Orange Nitrogen Fixing Corn Seeds from Hilo |
Hawaiian Names Assigned for Our Nitrogen Fixing Corn Varieties*
Blue Black: Kūlina uliuli a ʻeleʻele
Blue and White: Kūlina uliuli a keʻokeʻo
Giant Pink: Kūlina`ākala pilikua
Giant White: Kūlina keʻokeʻo pilikua
Multicolor: Kūlina nā waiho`olu`u
Red: Kūlina ʻulaʻula
Yellow Orange: Kūlina melemele `alani
*Translation provided by Shyne Davis
Plants and Seeds for Sale
BUYER BEWARE
Many corn varieties develop ‘brace roots’ seen along the lower part of the corn plant and they are a type of support system to help hold the corn plant upright. These are not nitrogen-fixing aerial roots, which are usually covered by a mucus like gel and only seen on the true nitrogen-fixing corn strains. Beware of corn seeds being sold as ‘Nitrogen-Fixing Corn’, using photos of brace roots. These are probably not seeds of nitrogen-fixing corn being sold.
Availability
Seeds of the nitrogen fixing corn varieties are in short supply and costly. While the corn produced from them can eaten as corn-on-the-cob while still tender, or dried as a grain for making various dishes, our primary intentions in offering these seeds are for them to be used for educational purposes, research and production of more seed by others. Since 2023 we have been attempting to increase production here in Hawai`i and hoping to be able to offer larger amounts of lower priced seeds.
In late 2023 we began sales of some seeds grown on our research partner’s farm in Hilo, Hawai`i. Our initial inventory of these seeds was very small and most of the varieties sold out quickly.
In September 2024 we began sales of larger lots of seeds from the first 2024 harvest at the Hilo farm and in October 2025 we began processing of additional seeds from the August harvest. These will allow us to lower prices and increase the amount of seeds offered for sale. Price adjustments for the 2024 and 2025 seeds should be completed by mid-October. Additional lots of seeds from Mexico including landraces not previously offered are also available.
Our seed inventory changes frequently. We may limit purchases by individual customers and reserve some or all of our seed inventory of specific seed lots for research purposes. The available corn seeds may be ordered through our ONLINE STORE.
Shipping
Domestic Shipments
These seeds can be shipped to all states after inspection by the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity. There is no charge for this inspection.
International Shipping
Please contact us before placing orders for delivery outside the United States. Our online store may not accept entry of orders going to international destinations.
The regulations governing exports of corn seeds are complex, vary widely among the receiving countries and change frequently without notice. Most countries now require inspection of the seeds and issuance of a Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for entry. The fee charged by the USDA for these services is $61.00 or $106, depending on the total value of the shipment.
Our costs of processing, paperwork, special packaging, travel for inspections and shipping associated with international orders are often extremely high. It has become necessary to establish minimum order sizes, and additional service charges for orders to countries requiring import permits, phytosanitary certificates, seed treatment or special inspections. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Sale for additional information.
Phytosanitary Requirements. Because of concerns about the potential importation of seeds with pests or diseases affecting corn, many countries also have additional restrictions on importing seeds from areas where these pests or diseases may be present. Mexico may be a prohibited origin because of the presence of corn diseases in the growing areas. Plants grown here in Hawai`i from seeds of Mexican origin have shown no evidence of wilt or other diseases. This is based only on visual observations made without supporting laboratory analyses.
According to information received from the USDA the seeds from Mexico do not meet the entry requirements of the European Union. This is because the bacterium that causes a disease called Stewart’s vascular wilt and leaf blight of sweet corn and maize (Pantoea stewartii subs. stewartii), is endemic to the parts of the USA and is now present in Mexico (Abidin et al. 2020), the origin of the seeds.
The seeds from Hawai`i may be subject to fewer or no restrictions because the wilt disease is not known to be present here (Pepper 1967) and we have shipped our Hawaiian grown seeds into the EU without problems.
Analytical test data is required for clearance and entry of the seeds into some countries regardless of the origin of the seeds. For example, Japan’s regulations require testing to detect the nucleotide sequences found in the nucleic acids of the bacteria causing corn wilt and maize chloric mottle virus. These testing services are not available here in Hawai`i so we cannot ship the seeds to Japan.
Seed Processing and Storage
We inspect all of these seeds when they are harvested or received from our suppliers. They are then treated by drying and freezing to control insect pests and maintain viability in long term storage. The seeds are shipped in plastic zip bags with silica gel packets to reduce moisture uptake by the seeds.
If you will not be planting the seeds on receipt we recommend keeping them in their original packing with the gel packet in an outer zip seal bag, glass jar or other impervious container. Then refrigerate or freeze them until they are planted.
Planting
Plant and grow these nitrogen fixing corn varieties as you would regular corn. Because the number of seeds and plants may be limited we recommend planting these in blocks or hills rather than single rows to improve pollination. If you wish to preserve the characteristics of the nitrogen fixing varieties they should be grown in isolation from other corn to avoid cross pollination.
Reporting Results
We view nitrogen fixing corn as a very promising but experimental crop. There is very little information available on the performance of these potentially important corn varieties in growing areas outside Mexico. Our experimental farm space for field trials is extremely limited. So we primarily depend on our our seed customers to report on seed performance, and the pests and diseases of the plants grown from the seeds. Please share this information with us. We will publish useful information on this website for public access.
Additional Information
Because we are receiving a high volume of inquiries about this corn we may not be able to answer them in a timely manner. For additional general information please refer to the references listed below.
References
Abidin, N., Ismail, S. I., Vadamalai, G., Yusof, M. T., Hakiman, M., Karam, D. S., Ismail-Suhaimy, N. W., Ibrahim, R., & Zulperi, D. (2020). Genetic diversity of Pantoea stewartii subspecies stewartii causing jackfruit-bronzing disease in Malaysia. PloS one, 15(6), e0234350. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234350
BBC Earth Lab. 2023. This Slime Could Change the World. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFyd-kC6IUw
Daley J. 2018. This rare variety of corn has evolved a way to make it own nitrogen, which could revolutionize farming. Smithsonian Magazine. August 10, 2018. [Accessed November 3, 2022].
Glorioso Products (GP). 2021, 2023. Personal communications.
Hamilton E. 2018. Corn that acquires its own nitrogen identified, reducing need for fertilizer. University of Wisconsin Madison News. August 7, 2018. [Accessed November 4, 2022].
Japan Plant Protection Website. 2023. Plant Protection Law Enforcement Regulations. https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/shorei_12_html_12.html [From translation by Hiroshi Katsumata, in Personal Communication of December 24, 2023].
Pepper, EH. 1967. Stewart’s bacterial wilt of corn. In: Monographs. American Phytopathology Society, (4) 36 pp.
Van Deynze A, Zamora P, Delaux P-M, Heitmann C, Jayaraman D, Rajasekar S, et al. 2018. Nitrogen fixation in a landrace of maize is supported by a mucilage-associated diazotrophic microbiota. PLoS Biol 16(8): e2006352. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2006352 [Accessed November 4, 2022].
Yong E. 2018. The Wonder Plant that Could Slash Fertilizer Use. In: The Atlantic, August 9, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/amaizeballs/567140/ [Accessed Septmenr 9, 2024].
Page last updated on September 27, 2025.