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| Uneven poor grain filling in corn |
Poor grain-filling is a common physiological problem that numerous gardeners encounter while growing corn in their food gardens. It is a condition of poor and uneven grain/kernel formation on the ear as a result of unsuccessful fertilisation of ovules due to poor pollination. It is influenced by many factors at various stages of growth of the corn plant. Some of the common factors are below
1. Heat stress and less humidity
2. Drought and lack of irrigation
Heat stress and less humidity
In summers, particularly due to high heat and less moisture in the air, pollen viability decreases and pollen-carrying silk hairs desiccate leading to unsuccessful pollination and fertilisation, resulting in poor grain formation and smaller kernel size.
Drought and lack of irrigation
Due to scanty irrigation, particularly at the silking stage and ear formation, plants get stressed, resulting in poor pollination, unsuccessful fertilisation and abortion of developing grain/kernels causing uneven grain formation.
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| Uneven poor grain formation (Photo credit: Urban Leaves, Mumbai) |
Remedies
Ensure regular irrigation particularly at the silking stage and ear formation.
Hand/manual pollinate to enhance successful pollination and fertilisation.
Sow corn just before or during the rainy seasons when there is optimum temperature and moisture in the air.
Use heirloom/often-pollinated local seeds which are more resilient and adaptive to local climate conditions
Technical trivia
Corn has separate male and female inflorescence (group of flowers). The female inflorescence is known as cob/ear on which grains develop and the male inflorescence is known as tessel.
Silking is the stage at which silky hairs emerge from the cob. These receive pollen to fertilise the ovum for successful grain formation.
Ear is the stalk on which grains/kernels form in an arrangement.
This small piece of information is collected by Vipesh Garg and proof-read by Premila Parera from Urban Leaves, Mumbai.
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