The Latest Methods and Precautions for Hand-Pollinating Corn

During the corn pollination period, if pollination results are poor, hand pollination can be used, which can make the corn kernels plump and fully filled, achieving increased yield and quality. So what methods are there for pollinating corn? What should be noted when pollinating? Follow along with the editor and take a look.

I. Corn Pollination Methods

1. Collecting pollen

The first step of hand pollination is collecting pollen. First, find a container, bring the container close to the corn tassel, gently shake the tassel, and shake the pollen into the container. After that, sift the collected pollen to remove the anthers, glumes, and other debris, and the pollen is then ready. After pollen is collected, it should be applied promptly, generally between 8-9 a.m. on a sunny day. If collected too early, the moisture content is too high and the pollen tends to clump, which is not good for pollination.

2. Pollination

The pollination time is generally between 8:30 and 11 a.m., depending on the specific weather conditions. When pollinating, a pollinating tool is used to gently sprinkle the pollen onto the silks to complete pollination. Generally, for the female ears, we should pollinate three times, respectively in the early, peak, and late stages of silking, so as to better ensure pollen fertilization and kernel set.

3. Other pollination methods

The pollination methods above have a high pollination rate, but when the workload is large, they are time-consuming and labor-intensive. You can directly shake the corn plants to let the pollen fall, or find a rope and work in pairs to gently shake it through the corn field, letting the pollen fall in the field. The pollen that lands on the silks completes hand pollination. Although this pollination method is convenient, it is not as good as pollinating after collecting pollen.

II. Precautions for Hand-Pollinating Corn

1. 5-7 days after corn detasseling, the female ears begin to silk, and this process lasts about 5-7 days. Pollination is best done within 2-5 days after the corn silks emerge, as the seed-setting rate is high at this time.

2. The pollination time should preferably be between 8-11 a.m. on a sunny day, when there is no dew in the field. If it is too early, dew will affect pollination.

3. Pollination is not suitable when the temperature is above 35 degrees.

4. For pollination, it is best to collect pollen and use it right away, then collect again after pollinating, to prevent collecting too much pollen at one time, causing it to pile up and die, which affects pollination.

  The above is an introduction to the methods and precautions for hand-pollinating corn. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.