Detasseling

Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen-producing tassel from a corn (maize) plant and placing it on the ground. Detasseling is done to cross-breed, or hybridize, two different varieties of corn. Fields of corn that will be detasseled are planted with two varieties of corn. By removing the tassels from all plants of one variety, all the grain growing on those plants will be fertilized by the other variety's tassels. In addition to being more physically uniform, hybrid corn produces dramatically higher yields than corn produced by open pollination. With modern seed corn the varieties to hybridize are carefully selected so that the new variety will exhibit specific traits found in the parent plants.

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The largest producer of detasseling machines is Hagie Manufacturing Company of Clarion, Iowa. Detasseling must also be done by hand due to limitations of the machine. The main issues are that the machine doesn't adapt quickly to height differences in plants and it often throws the tassels in the air, where they can be caught up in the plants and inadvertently allow pollination. It is desirable that the pulled tassel ends up on the ground to prevent this problem. In the cases where machines are used, they are often used to pull the majority of the tassels, with people walking the fields afterwards to pull "suckers", detassel the shorter plants, and remove any tassels caught in the leaves.

Detasseling work is typically performed by teens; as such, it serves as a typical rite of passage (for many, it is their first job) in rural areas of the Corn Belt.

See also

• Plant breeding