Transatlantic Spread of Maize

Timeline

1. 1561–1565Andalusia · AndalusiaMaize had been integrated into rotation systems in southern Spain and the Italian peninsula, called maíz or granturco, serving as a supplementary grain and fodder in years of wheat failure, with varieties adapted to the Mediterranean summer drought climate.
2. 1563–1568Moroccan coast · MoroccoThrough Iberia–Maghreb maritime and overland trade, maize was promoted around North African port cities and seeped southward along the Sahel corridor, becoming an important introduced grain on the African continent.
3. 1566–1570Valley of Mexico · Valley of MexicoNew Spain and the Mesoamerican terraces still maintained maize–bean–squash polyculture and variety breeding; high-yielding strains were the pillar of colonial taxation and ration supply, forming a two-way crop flow with the outflow to the Old World.