Many would agree that one of the most pleasing sights that Fairfield County has to offer are the seas of green presented by fields of growing corn.
In mid-July, however, the careful observer will notice the emergence of yellow plumes reaching for the sky from the very top of the plant. Known to most as corn tasseling, these golden strands mark the commencement of corn reproduction.
Each tassel houses a plethora of pollen grains, between 14 million and 18 million, resembling a fine yellow powder that is easily dispersed by the wind. These grains contain the male co
rn genes, half of what is needed for a new corn kernel. Meanwhile, a few feet below await the female components needed for procreation. Hundreds of minuscule flowers are aligned on tiny, sheathed cobs, jutting upwards towards their male counterparts. Each of these tiny female flowers have the ability to develop into a kernel of corn…but only if a grain of pollen can find its way to it!
The process is further complicated by the fact that these female flowers and their cobs are enveloped by a husk and completely sheltered from the world, thus not allowing the pollen to make direct contact. Instead, each female flower sends out a single, sticky strand of silk with the purpose of securing a floating grain of corn pollen. It’s no coincidence, that these silky strands emerge on the very same day the tassel is set to release its powdery pollen.
The story only gets stranger when a grain of pollen aligns with the tip of a strand of silk. Once recognized, it tunnels its way down through the thread to finally unite and fertilize the female flower. This entire process can take several hours to complete, and upon achievement the silky threads almost immediately begin to dry up. The small, underdeveloped kernels you often find towards the end of an ear of corn resulted from flowers that were unsuccessful in engaging male suitors to venture down their tubes of silk, thus were not successfully pollinated.
So, the next time you smell that wondrously bright, musky odor emerging from a neighboring corn field, you’ll know that love is, indeed, in the air.
Source: Carrie Brown, Fairfield County ANR Educator