In Urbana on the University of Illinois campus sits a historical marker that reads: “In 1953, John R. Laughnan discovered that kernels of mutant corn were “unusually sweet.” Within eight years, Laughnan had developed the “Illini Supersweet” hybrid that revolutionized the sweet corn industry. Supersweet, now a dominant variety internationally, is higher in protein and lower in calories than conventional sweet corn.”
Corn has had a long history in the United States. The Illinois Museum described corn as one of the greatest feats of genetic engineering in human history. The cultivation of corn marked a turning point in the development of agriculture and human society in the early Americas. Here was a crop that could now be stored and used during the lean winter months.
Laughnan, a professor of plant biology and head of the Botany Department at University of Illinois, was a corn geneticist. In the early 1950s, he and discovered the shrunken-2 (sh2) gene led to corn that produced kernels with less starch and four times more sugar than other sweet corn at the time. When Laughnan started marketing his varieties of sweet corn with the sh2 gene, he developed the “Illini Supersweet” hybrid. Today “supersweet” is often used synonymously with sh2.
Although it didn’t catch on right away, supersweet corn has surged in popularity over the decades.
Whether you like it sweet or supersweet, sweet corn is a staple on the tables of Illinois families and is deserving of a its own special day of recognition.