Corn Plants (IMAGE) University of Massachusetts Amherst Caption The pale-colored corn is a mutant with an impaired ability to take up iron. One long-term aim of a new study at UMass Amherst is to identify mechanisms that could allow plant breeders and others in the future to increase bioavailability of iron in parts of the plant that people rely on in their diets such as seeds and corn kernels. Credit UMass Amherst Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.