Comparison and analysis of maize grain commodity quality and mechanical harvest quality between China and the United States

Maize is a bulk commodity in international agricultural product trading, and unified and standardized quality inspection standards are the basis of purchase and sales and other trading behaviors. China and the United States are the largest maize producers and consumers in the world, jointly accounting for more than 60% of the world's total production. In this research, the used data were from annual maize harvest quality reports released by the U.S. Grains Council in 2011-2019 and 2987 groups of mechanical grain harvest sample data collected by the Crop Cultivation and Physiology Innovation Team of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2012-2019, this study compares the quality standards of commercial maize grain in China and the United States, the mechanical harvest quality (which affects the quality of the maize grain commodity), and the status quo of harvesting and storage processes in the two countries. Additionally, this study analyzes the differences in the formulation of mechanical harvest quality standards between China and the United States, as well as the reasons behind these differences, and recommends requirements for the formulation of quality standards for maize production technology and commodities that are in line with the economic conditions and maize-production conditions in China and in line with international standards in order to provide support for the industrialization of modern maize production in China.