Cornfusion...

[journey11]

Can someone explain for me all about corn cross-pollination?

I usually isolate mine by time (a month or so between plantings) or only plant one kind for the year. This year I have two different kinds of sweet corn (one is an se and the other a se+) and I also want to plant some heirloom dent corn. I want to be sure I don't mess anything up. And in addition to that, I just want to understand it better.

One thing I read in the catalog I ordered from that I hadn't heard before: Normal (su) hybrids require no isolation from other sweet corns And se and se+ don't require isolation from su. Would an su still be tainted by field corn, popcorn, etc.? If it is tainted, it affects the quality of the kernel, makes it starchy right? Sh2's cross with everything right?

Is there any problem if my se and se+ would cross with each other?

The two sweet corn are 85 and 82 day respectively. The dent corn is 90 day. If I planted the dent corn first and waited a month on the other, would I be pretty safe to avoid tasseling at the same time?

Whew...I am tongue-tied now...

 

[897tgigvib]

We should let SeedCorn answer this.

 

[seedcorn]

I wish this was easy to answer, trust me it's not.

Corn is usually rated by days to maturity. What you need to know are heat units to pollination. (2 varieties could have same maturity and pollinate at different times-early pollinator vs. late). To make matters worse, different breeders rate days different. Then companies may do the same thing..... Confused yet?

Even with hybrids of different maturities, plants can change their maturity depending planting date, heat, sunlight, so they pollinate together...tired of reading this yet?

To answer your question, don't know...sorry! IF they are different maturities, you can interplant sweet corn with popcorn (even GMO corn) and they will not pollinate each other. Your safest bet is to plant your earliest varieties first, then when about 6" tall, plant your dent. They can then be side by side and you're good.

Disclaimer....what bothers me is that dents are usually rated to maturity (black layer) whereas sweet corn to milk level, 2 entirely different things. I know, I've been NO HELP!!!! At least you got this for nothing--price is right.

 

[seedcorn]

An article that does a good job explaining pollination issues with different types of sweet corn.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/ho-98.pdf

 

[journey11]

LOL, no, I'm following you! I wondered about that too with the maturity, since you pick at different stages. So you did help me there...I should plant the sweets first. For my growing season, if I start promptly, I should still have plenty of time to dry the dent corn.

So the se and the se+ would be ok together, even if they did cross-pollinate. I understand the heterozygous/homozygous part--so the texture of the kernels wouldn't get messed up between them...correct?

 

[seedcorn]

Correct....although the only good sweet corn is Illini SuperSweet. Rest are waste of garden space!

You could plant all your dent first, then after it pollinates (before your sweet corn shoots silks) detassle the dent and your sweet corn is safe. Worst case would be some of your dent is pollinated by sweet corn.

If you pull the tassels, bite off the lower end. It is sweet and good. No wonder deer do it.

 

[897tgigvib]

This is a great topic! Let's hear some other ideas. i have some to input too, but right now not feeling well...things like, yes i saw an open pollinated super sweet corn...

 

[journey11]

I got that article bookmarked. Thanks, Seedcorn! I will have to re-read it in the morning after coffee and see if I can get more out of the pollination section. Their terminology was a little different, saw a couple things I wasn't familiar with, but could understand most of it. I have no reference to early/mid/late-season with the catalog I'm looking at, so I'm not sure what to do about that. Does it refer to germination temps (e.g. early would germinate well at lower temps?)

 

[journey11]

I've not tried the Illini yet...maybe next year.

The dent corn was just for fun, although I will grind it if it turns out. The sweet corn, I plant to freeze a bunch of that, so it will get priority.

Dang deer. I'm gonna fix those suckers with some electric here soon. I intend to be the only critter nibbling on my garden this year!

Marshall, you'll have to tell me more about that tomorrow when you feel better. What designation would most OP's be, su?

 

[seedcorn]

Corn maturity is by some point. Field corn is when the kernels are fully developed and will only get drier. Sweet corn is by date to pick--milk level vs. fully developed.

So early is earlier than mid season which is earlier than late season. They are very fast and loose with maturity.

It's all about what the breeder emphasized. Most early hybrids have ability to germinate in colder soils prioritized. Whereas a fuller season may have heat tolerance emphasized.

Now beans are rated by when they quit blooming as they all start to bloom at the same time based on day length. Just had to add to the confusion........