Is there a study that shows the maximum dispersal distance for corn pollen?
I’m a palynologist and the only thing I find in our literature is that corn pollen is heavy and doesn’t travel very far. One reference gives a maximum distance of 500 meters. Surely, farmers need this information in order to grow seed corn when they have to isolate the female parent from unwanted pollen. A: All farmers and gardeners have to know is to plant at least 3 rows side-by-side (rows 36 inches apart) or in a circle to insure good pollination. If cross pollination is required in hybridization, similar varieties are planted in the same block and/or the female plants are sterilized by removing the tassels. I am not familar with the ultimate distance a pollen grain can be transported. Of course it would depend on wind velocity.
