Field corn

How does corn propagation work?

Basic information seed corn production

Why corn propagation? – hybrid corn production

In hybrid corn cultivation, two inbred lines are deliberately crossed with each other. Thereby one uses the heterosis and the homogeneity of the hybrids. To increase the heterosis effect, one crosses a mother line with a father line, which are genetically as far away from each other as possible. For propagation, mother and father lines are built alternately on isolated plots. It is common to grow four female rows and three male rows side by side. Before flowering, the male part of the plant, that is, the flag, is removed from the female line.

Cultivation/Hybridization

Using the example of a cultivation scheme, the distance between female and male lines can be seen. The black lines are the female rows, while the dotted ones represent the male rows. In this process, the female rows are usually built first, and then the male ones are sown in the designated space as soon as the female ones have reached a growth stage described in the cultivation plan. This means for us a daily control of the set female lines to observe the germination stage. It is essential to sow the male rows at the right time to ensure the best possible fertilization and thus excellent quality.