How far will pollen travel on the wind?
Past studies have shown that the bulk of a corn plant’s pollen will fall within a 20-foot radius of the plant. However, some may be carried much farther, perhaps up to a quarter of a mile or farther. It is important to remember, however, that pollen shed is not a continuous process. It turns on and off in response to the environmental conditions at the time. Thus, very little, if any, pollen is being shed on rainy days, on windy days, on extremely hot days, or on extremely cool days. In addition, the average life of a pollen grain is only about 20 minutes, so it needs to do its work quickly before it loses its viability.
