
Show Notes
This season has brought one of the most puzzling problems in corn production, the tight tassel wrap.
Tight tassel wrap is an uncommon phenomenon that occurs when the uppermost leaves refuse to unfurl, keeping the tassel trapped and preventing pollination. The result? Pollination problems that can quietly reduce your yields, even in fields that look picture-perfect from afar.
Tune in as Mike Howell sits down with Dr. Dan Quinn, Purdue University's extension corn specialist, to explore this new challenge and the importance of getting timing and synchrony right throughout corn production.
They break down how corn pollinates, how pollen travels from tassel shed to silks to fertilize ovules and why the short pollination window is so vulnerable to stress. You'll hear about how environmental changes and hybrid traits can create this problem and what to look for when scouting your fields.
Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics
More from The Dirt: an eKonomics podKast
With so much new technology entering the market, how do we figure out what's actually helpful?
Soil research is most valuable when it reflects the real challenges growers are seeing and helps them make better management decisions.
What should you consider when choosing a potassium source?
Soil fertility isn't always the yield-limiting factor. Compaction, salinity, soil acidity and water management can all affect how well crops grow and how effectively they access nutrients.
Building soil organic matter has become a common goal for farmers looking to improve soil health, but increasing soil organic matter levels can be harder than we'd expect.