What is Corn Detasseling?
Detasseling Explained
What is corn detasseling? I'm glad you asked!
Corn detasseling is a seasonal farm labor job that typically takes place in the United States during July, primarily across the Midwest. It plays a crucial role in the seed corn hybridization process.
Unlike field corn, which is grown as a commodity crop for food, fuel, and other purposes, seed corn is specifically cultivated to produce seeds for future crop growth. In seed corn production, two distinct varieties of corn are planted to create a hybrid seed. Hybrid seeds offer several benefits, such as consistently higher germination rates and crop yields.
In practice, hybridization involves planting one row of a male corn variety followed by four rows of a female corn variety. This pattern is repeated throughout the entire field. Corn plants are naturally hermaphroditic, meaning they have both male and female parts. The tassel, an amber shoot of pollen at the top of the plant, is the male part, while the silk, the hair-like strands visible when shucking a corn cob, is the female part. Each silk thread corresponds to a single corn kernel, which forms through unique pollination events.
To produce hybrid seeds, pollen from male plants must pollinate the silk on female plants. To ensure uniform pollination, tassels are removed from female plants, either by machine or by hand. Once detasseled, these female plants will be pollinated by the male variety, creating the desired hybrid seeds.
The Work of Detasseling
Now that you understand the purpose of detasseling—removing the tassel from a corn plant to facilitate the uniform production and pollination of hybrid seeds—let's explore the actual process of detasseling work.
Our detasseling crew is responsible for entering the fields and removing tassels. We're employed by a seed corn company that manages the entire seed production process, from planting to harvesting. In 2024, our seed corn acreage is contracted with Beck's Hybrids.
When a field reaches a stage of maturity where pollination is imminent, it's referred to as "hot." This means the silk on the plants is starting to appear, and the tassels will soon emerge. At this stage, it's time to remove the tassels from the female plants.
The seed corn company first mows the field, using a tractor with spinning blades to trim the top inch of the leaves on female plants. This doesn't damage the plants but triggers a response that causes them to rapidly send up their tassels. After mowing, a day is allowed for the tassels to emerge. Then, the seed corn company sends a puller, a tractor with upward spinning wheels, through the fields to remove tassels. Typically, the puller removes 75 to 90 percent of the tassels.
Next, our detasseling crew enters the fields to remove any remaining tassels. The process has two stages: firsts and seconds. During firsts, we make our initial pass through the field, focusing on removing tassels missed at the top of the plant. This stage also involves claiming your blocks, which determines your compensation (see Compensation section for more details).
After waiting a day, we return to the field for the second pass, aptly named seconds. The time waited allows for any missed tassels to grow and become more visible. We revisit our claimed blocks to remove remaining tassels, focusing on the entire plant's verticality—tops, mids, and lows—with emphasis on the tops and mids. This stage is also known as the "clean up" since it's the last time we work on a block if enough tassels are removed for the block to pass.
Tassels are generally classified as tops, mids, and lows. Tops are found in the standard, taller parts of the field, while mids are on corn plants that matured more slowly and aren't as tall. All corn plants produce tassels, which must be removed. Lows are small corn plants, less than a foot high, with tassels that can be stepped on. Suckers, another type of tassel, grow from the base of mature corn plants.
Compensation
We Pay More!
At Green Mile Detasseling, we use a "piece rate" compensation model, meaning your pay is based on the work you complete. Our experienced detasselers can earn over $30 per hour, while rookies often make more than $15 per hour. Pay is determined by the number of blocks detasseled, with each block averaging around $75. Payments are made once the field passes inspection, ensuring fair compensation for quality work. Join us and maximize your earnings with Green Mile Detasseling!
In general, pay is divided based on the number of blocks you detassel. A block consists of four rows of female corn, with a row of male corn on either side. Blocks may vary in length but are generally half a mile long. An experienced detasseler usually finishes a block in about an hour on the first pull and slightly less on the second. Payment for a block is received after it passes inspection. After the field is cleaned, inspectors check the field. If 99.7% or more of the tassels are removed, the field passes, and we are paid. If the field does not pass, we may need to re-enter the field to clean it until it does.
