By: Nurul Ezzaty Mohd Azhari
SERDANG, Sept 25 – Unique and captivating, that is the impression that arises upon first sight of the purple glutinous corn grown at Ladang 15, the Faculty of Agriculture (FP), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
Mohd Nazrul Anis, Assistant Agriculture Officer at FP UPM, said this corn was planted to diversify the available corn varieties as well as to attract the interest of buyers through the faculty's production project.
"This is the first time we have planted this type of corn here, and I did not expect to receive such an encouraging response from buyers around the Serdang area. In the near future, I will plant more of this corn to meet customer demand.
"It’s easy to differentiate the purple glutinous corn from the commonly grown yellow corn by observing the colour of its roots, stalks, and fruits. The colour of the roots and stalks of the plant will be purple, just like its fruits," he said.
Commenting on the taste, he said this type of corn is not as crunchy as yellow sweet corn and has a slightly sticky texture, similar to glutinous rice.
In addition, 50 corn plants that produce glutinous corn in three colours (white, yellow, and purple) were also planted as experimental crops to gauge market demand. - UPM
