Local sales usually involve the grower in packaging and marketing his own product. Although conditions for growing popcorn are the same as for dent corn, special harvesting and specific drying and storage practices are necessary to maintain popping quality. Nevertheless, dent corn is a relatively poor source of protein requiring diets to be supplemented with other protein sources like beans. Zein in dent corn tends to be very low in lysine and tryptophan, two of the eight essential amino acids that nonruminants cannot synthesize and must obtain from their diet. The highly polyunsaturated, high linoleic acid content of corn oil makes it an excellent source of energy and essential fatty acids for both humans and livestock.
Cattle feeders are particularly interested in varieties with greater oil content.
High-oil content varieties have higher caloric levels that result in greater animal gains per unit of feed. Oil quality is dependent on the relative amounts of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids in the grain. Oils high in linoleic acid and low in oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids are preferred for human diets. As with high-lysine corn, more work is needed to improve adaptability and yields. White, waxy corn is easily damaged during harvest, handling and drying.