wind and hail. Those weather factors, along with rising temperatures and humidity levels, all play a part in the success of corn pollination, notes Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field agronomist.

Corn requires half-inch long fresh silks at the tips of ears in order to pollinate. When pests clip silks shorter than that, pollination won’t happen. “When pollen drops, you need the silks to ...

Each strand of silk connects to a kernel on the cob as a sort of pathway to pollination. Fresh silk means that the corn kernels are likely to be fully-developed and sweet, while a dry, dark silk ...