How Does Corn Reproduce?

Anatomy

• A corn plant has male and female parts, a feature known as monecious. The male organ is called the tassel and is found on top of the plant. It has several branches containing small male flowers that release pollen grains. The female organ is known as the ear and develops at the top of a shank that grows from the leaves found between the tassel and the ground. The ear has a cob, eggs and silks. Each ear can have up to 1,000 ovules that develop into kernels after pollination.

Ear Development

• As the ear develops, a group of leaves known as the husk covers the ear. Hair-like strands called silks also grow out of each egg and come out of the tip of the husk. It is through the silks that pollination occurs. Once the silks emerge, they are receptive to pollen for up to 10 days, after which their receptivity quickly decreases.

Pollination

• Anthers that emerge and hang from the tassel begin pollination by releasing yellow pollen that is dust-like. The anthers must be dry for them to release pollen. Wet conditions delay the pollen shed, as does humid, cloudy or cool weather conditions. The process of an anther shedding all of its pollen can take place within minutes, although an individual tassel may not finish shedding its pollen for another week. After the pollen sheds, it is transferred to the silks, usually by an insect or the wind. An entire field may take up to 14 days for the pollen shed to be finished.

Fertilization

• Once a pollen grain reaches the silks, a pollen tube that holds the male genetic material forms and grows inside them. The ovary is fertilized within 24 hours as the male cells are transferred down the tube into the eggs. After fertilization, the egg develops into a kernel, which contains a single embryo that can grow into a new plant.