Detasseling

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Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen-producing tassel from a corn (maize) plant. Fields of corn that will be detasseled are planted with two varieties of corn. By removing the tassels from all plants of one variety, all the grain growing on those plants will be fertilized by the other variety's tassels. Detasseling is done to cross-breed, or hybridize, two different varieties of corn. In addition to being more physically uniform, hybrid corn produces dramatically higher yields than corn produced by open pollination. With modern seed corn the varieties to hybridize are carefully selected so that the new variety will exhibit specific traits found in the parent plants.

Mechanized detasselers exist, the largest producer of which is Hagie Manufacturing Company of Clarion, Iowa; however, detasseling by hand is still necessary due to the variation in height of corn plants. Detasseling work is typically performed by children in their early teens; as such, it serves as a typical rite of passage (for many, it is their first job) in rural areas of the Corn Belt.