Tassels are emerging in early planted corn. While it is good to see the corn progressing there is concern on dryland corn acres that pollination will not occur properly.
Under drought stress corn tassels emerge early, while silk emergence is delayed, causing pollination failure. Silks are actually hollow tubes that "catch" the pollen from the tassel and carry it down to the kernel. About an inch of silks should be visible to properly receive pollen. When pollination fails there are blank kernels, or in worse case scenarios, blank ears. The "Silking" growth stage of corn (when silks are receptive to catching pollen) lasts approximately 4 days.
The good news for the field scouted in Millersburg, IN for this post is that pollen shed and silk emergence is coridnated. (Yeah!) There is a 'pollination-shake test' that can be performed at the end of the silk stage to confirm pollination ... look for more information on that next week.
A sign pollen shed is ending is finding empty anthers from the tassel on corn leaves and on the ground.
As we all know, pollination is only one more step in the process, if drought conditions continue the plant can still abort kernels.
Weather Update: While the rains over the weekend were very much appreciated, they were not enough to bring us out of our current condition of severe drought stress (unofficial opinion, the updated Drought Monitor report comes out in three days). Areas in southern Michiana received upwards of .7 inches of rain, the least unofficially reported to Edd's was 2 tenths near Goshen.
Thanks for scouting with us!
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