Soon you will see corn tasseling in fields throughout DeKalb County.
The tassel is a critical part of the corn plant’s ability to produce grain, during the pollination period.
Here are some interesting facts about corn tassels.
- The tassel represents the male flower on a corn plant (the ear shoot represents the female flowers).
- Each tassel contains 2 to 5 million grains of pollen.
- Tassels typically begin releasing pollen 2 to 3 days prior to silk emergence from the ear shoot.
- Only 1 grain of pollen is needed to fertilize 1 single silk. Each fertilized silk develops a kernel on the ear of corn.
- Pollen is shed over a 10 to 14 day period.
