corn tassels?

[mikehaugen]

I saw a couple automated corn de-tasselers in a field about a month ago... pretty neat machines. My question is, what are the tassels for? Excuse the ignorance, but I just don't know. I am thinking maybe something to do with creating some kind of hybrid seed?

 

[creekbend]

Detasseling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[mikehaugen]

I really could have done that myself, I just prefer to ask you guys as to strike up conversation. I do a LOT of research, on both the internet and through books as I enjoy learning, and hate not fully understanding something. Once in a while, it's nice to just talk to others about things. I wasn't just too lazy to look for myself.

Not trying to be a smart@ss here, but if you didn't feel like giving a response, you could have just moved on, instead of giving me a link to something I can find for myself. I actually kind of find it insulting. I am not one of these people that come on here asking for information just because they don't have the insight or ambition to find something out without help. And I apologize (sincerely) if you feel I am cluttering the forum.

Then again, this place would be a lot more boring if everyone just used google and didn't have any discussions... granted, a conversation about corn tassels may not be that exciting. There are no pictures of women or politics to get everyone excited, though I am sure there's a way to somehow bring politics in.

Btw... I did read that link, and it seems my assumption was at least kind of right.

 

[mfreund]

The tassels are the producers of the pollen for the corn. Each kernel of pollen falls onto the individual silk and makes a kernel of corn. The seed corn industry detassels to get the male rows to pollenate the female rows to get the hybrid they desire. There is not really male and female rows as each plant has both. It is just used to differentiate between the rows you are talking about. You may also notice in a seed corn field there is no other corn to cross with the desired hybrid for I think it is 500 yards. May be more or less depending on the company. Spent many summers detasseling corn by hand for a local Pioneer hybrid plant.

 

[bakerg]

Another former detassler here, I don't remember the exact radius but it's something like if you miss 1 tassel, a 25 foot radius around it is no good for seed. Please correct me if I'm wrong.:ashamed:

 

[creekbend]

I really could have done that myself, I just prefer to ask you guys as to strike up conversation. I do a LOT of research, on both the internet and through books as I enjoy learning, and hate not fully understanding something. Once in a while, it's nice to just talk to others about things. I wasn't just too lazy to look for myself.

Not trying to be a smart@ss here, but if you didn't feel like giving a response, you could have just moved on, instead of giving me a link to something I can find for myself. I actually kind of find it insulting. I am not one of these people that come on here asking for information just because they don't have the insight or ambition to find something out without help. And I apologize (sincerely) if you feel I am cluttering the forum.

Then again, this place would be a lot more boring if everyone just used google and didn't have any discussions... granted, a conversation about corn tassels may not be that exciting. There are no pictures of women or politics to get everyone excited, though I am sure there's a way to somehow bring politics in.

Btw... I did read that link, and it seems my assumption was at least kind of right.

I only intended to help. It wasn't my intention to "Ruffle Your Feathers". I actually found the Link to be quite informative. Best wishes.

 

[mikehaugen]

I only intended to help. It wasn't my intention to "Ruffle Your Feathers". I actually found the Link to be quite informative. Best wishes.

It was informative, thank you. I do however see a lot of responses on here like "try google" and find them irritating. But there are the occasional few that join here to ask a question (that could have been easily googled- like where do put the oil in my 9n tractor) and then are never heard from again- so i can see why some people give those responses. I am not one of those people. I am sorry if it seems like I "went off" on you, it is not the way it was meant.

Thank you everybody for the responses.

 

[jinman]

I am sorry if it seems like I "went off" on you, it is not the way it was meant.

Thank you everybody for the responses.

It sure sounded like you "went off" on creekbend to me. There's a big difference in somebody who replies that you should google something and somebody who finds your question interesting and cares enough to google it and read up on the answer to the question. Then, to make sure they share their new-found knowledge, they post a one-click link to the material. In my opinion, there should be only one response and that is, "Thanks!" So yes, I think you are a little harsh considering that his response added positive info to your thread. If you had only wanted personal experience with de-tasseling, that's what you should have asked for in your original post.

 

[mikehaugen]

It sure sounded like you "went off" on creekbend to me. There's a big difference in somebody who replies that you should google something and somebody who finds your question interesting and cares enough to google it and read up on the answer to the question. Then, to make sure they share their new-found knowledge, they post a one-click link to the material. In my opinion, there should be only one response and that is, "Thanks!" So yes, I think you are a little harsh considering that his response added positive info to your thread. If you had only wanted personal experience with de-tasseling, that's what you should have asked for in your original post.

It probably did sound that way, and I probably took his response the wrong way when I first read it. In reality, I guess anyone that takes time to respond deserves some credit.

I had thought about wiki to begin with, but thought "nah, I'll ask the guys at tbn.. they always have something interesting to say." Then it sits for half a day with only one response that was a link to wiki.

I may have been a little frustrated.

 

[creekbend]

It was informative, thank you. I do however see a lot of responses on here like "try google" and find them irritating. But there are the occasional few that join here to ask a question (that could have been easily googled- like where do put the oil in my 9n tractor) and then are never heard from again- so i can see why some people give those responses. I am not one of those people. I am sorry if it seems like I "went off" on you, it is not the way it was meant.

Thank you everybody for the responses.

Dear Friend: Everything is Fine. All of us are Human and We are all different. I learned from your thread regarding Tassels.