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Originally Posted by Janet
Hope this helps some Marilyn:
WHAT IS IT?
Detasseling is the process of removing the flower or tassel from the top portion of the corn plant in order to cease self-pollination. These detasseled varieties are interplanted within rows of other varieties of corn that are not detasseled in order to produce cross pollination between the two separate varieties. This in turn creates a hybrid seed. This work involves walking down the rows of corn while pulling the tassel of each plant upward until you hear the tassel pop. This popping sound tells us that the tassel has been properly disconnected from the plant. The tassel is then dropped to the ground as you move on to the next plant. The objective of detasseling is to remove all (99.5%) of the tassels in your rows. This will require a second time through and depending on the quality of your work, possibly a third or fourth pull through your assigned rows in order to complete the field.
As far as de-roguing corn...I think it's a male stock in with the females and it has to be removed. I couldn't find any info on it and I even googled it.
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Oh, Janet, thank you. So this farmer is growing seed corn, not corn for consumption. I hadn't thought of that. I just figured the big seed companies grew their own seed corn and did not know how it was done. This is very interesting, and would be a totally different kind of farming from what is done around here for animal consumption. Wow, learn something every day.
I thought that derouging might involve removing the silks from the ear of corn since the silks sometimes have a purple color, they might be referred to as the rouge of the corn plant. Just speculating, but this would fit with the cross pollination being done.
Don't mean to side track your thread with technical stuff. Sorry but sometimes the engineer comes out in me.
BTW, you are an awesome mom!!!!! Your son will appreciate you even more some day!!!!