The tassel 
produces pol- 
len which is 
collected in 
this small 
paper bag. 







Over the Salk 
on: the ear. shoot 
goes a'bag to 
prevent open 
pollination. 

CONTROLLED PARENTAGE HAND POLLINATION OF SILKS WITH A POLLEN GUN 
Here a Funk corn breeder is using a pollen gun to pollinate silks. The pollen has previously been 
collected in paper bags placed over the tassels of specially selected plants. In this way the corn 
breeder can select the pollen parent and seed parent as carefully as the livestock breeder selects 
sires and dams for his prized meat, milk or egg producing animals. 
Often’ Funk corn breeders begin the development 
of southern ‘‘blood lines’ by working with only a 
few corn plants. The tassel and ear shoot of each 
valuable plant are covered with small paper bags 
so that the parentage of corn grown from this 
seed is completely controlled. 














THEN MASS PRODUCTION 
Breeding work is done by hand only in the 
“pilot plant’’ stage or until the value of par- 
ticular ‘‘blood lines’’ has been established. 
Then the job is done on mass production scale 
to secure the seed of a valuable hybrid neces- 
sary to plant thousands of acres of corn. 
In production fields like this one the plants 
selected as pollen parents are planted in one 
or more rows and the seed parent plants are 
planted in rows adjoining. Before the pollen 
is shed, the tassels of the seed parent plants 
are pulled so that the only source of pollen is 
from the pollen parent rows. 

Research Staff Conducts 
CORN BREEDING PROGRAM IN Sou} 
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