Kentucky Sweet Corn

[Charlie Campney]

Gretings,

Here in South Cent Kentucky, there are hundreds of acres all around me that are already sown in field corn. If I sow sweet corn in my garden now, is there a chance of cross pollination? And what effect will that have on my corn?

Thanks, Charlie in Kentucky

[Judy]

You need about a two mile separation to ensure your sweet corn is not cross-pollinated by commercial field corn

[Snooze]

If you're growing sweet corn to eat, cross pollination isn't a problem. If you intend to save a few ears to grow next year, then it could be a problem.

Do you know if the corn grown in your area is meant for human consumption? for animal feed? Or worse, genetically modified corn designed to produce chemicals compounds for use in drugs for pharmaceutical companies.

If you live near feed corn or pharmaceutical corn fields, the maize you grow is safe to eat, but don't save the ears to grow corn next year. The second year corn might not be safe for human consumption.

Incidentally only a really small fraction of the maize grown in this country is actually meant to be eaten by humans. Most maize has been modified for specific industries, like feed corn, chemical/pharmaceutical corn and I think there's also a strain of corn designed specifically for the ethanol industry

Sameer

[Charlie Campney]

Thanks for your reply,

Could I plant mine later so they aren't pollinating at the same time? How much later? The field corn is really close. I don't think you could go anywhere in the county and be over two miles away from field corn, there is that much of it.

Regards, Charlie in Kentucky

[FarmerDill]

Charlie most field cultivars of cornhave a maturity of well over 100 days. Early cultivars of sweet corn (70 -80) will be done before field corn planted at the same time tassels. The other consideration is that standard hybrid sweet corns, Su or Se are not severly effected by a few stray grains of pollen from an adjacent field, The supersweets on the other hand can be rendered close to inedible. I think I would just arrange my planting so that my sweet corn is either ahead or behind the field corn in tasseling.