Agritech 312 AGRITECH 312 – Crop Improvement and

MODULE Seed Technology

Chapter 5 – Corn Seed Production in the Philippines

Overview
Maize is second to rice as the most important crop in the Philippines, with one-third
Filipino farmers or 1.8 million, depending on maize as their major source of livelihood. It is
common grain in the Philippines with wider industrial and household utility. It is used a feed,
food and raw material in many industries in the country. Botanically, it is known as Zea mays
and belongs to the family Poaceae.

Learning Outcomes
After finishing this module, you are expected to have a knowledge, understanding,
familiarization and analyzation on importance and uses of corn in the Philippines, its floral
biology of corn, reproductive parts of a corn, schedule of corn cultivation and technical works
and its methods and steps in harvesting corn seeds.
Specifically, at the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. Familiarize with the importance and uses of corn in the Philippines;
2. Familiarize and analyse the floral biology of corn;
3. Identify and familiarize the reproductive parts of a corn;
4. Familiarize and discuss the methods of corn seed production, including the
schedule of corn cultivation and technical works; and
5. Identify and familiarize the methods and steps in harvesting corn seeds.

Learning Content
 Floral Biology of Corn
 Reproductive Parts of a Corn
 Methods of Corn Seed Production
 General Schedule of Corn Cultivation and Technical Works
 Harvesting of Corn Seeds

Topic 1. Floral Biology

Botanical Name Zea mays

Botanical Family Poaceae
Types of Flowers Female: Cob (axillary inflorescence in the
middle portion of plants)
Male: Tassel (terminal inflorescence)
Husk Enlarged leaf sheaths from each node,
forming a protective covering around the
 inflorescence.
Pollination Cross pollination
Special Character Protandry
- It is the condition in which an
organism begins life as a male
and then changes into a female.
- It is the condition of flowers whose
male parts mature before the
female ones.
Flowering Pattern Top to bottom (Tassel)
Bottom to top (Cob)
Anthesis Pollen shedding begins 1 to 3 days before
the silk emerge from the cob.
Fertilization Within 12 to 18 hours after silk
emergence.
The entire silk is receptive. Silk will be
pinkish and sticky at the beginning after
fertilization it will be chocolate/ brown
color.
Number of Pollen in Tassel 2,50,00,000
Pollen Viability 12-18 hours
Silk Receptive 8-10 days
Male Flower Anthesis 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM
Duration of Flowering 2-14 days

Topic 2. Reproductive Parts of a Corn

a) The tassel is the male portion of the flower. It sits at the

top of the plant and attracts bees and other insects.

b) The corn ear encompasses the silk, kernels and cob of

the corn plant. Harvesting the ears occurs when the
plants mature.

c) The silk is part of the female portion of the plant’s flower.

It grows out of the top of the cornhusk and may be
colored green, yellow or brown, depending on the corn
variety.
d) The husk is the green leaves surrounding the corn ears.
These leaves protect the kernels of the corn which is the
edible portion of the corn plant.

e) The corn cob is the central core of an ear of corn. It is

the part of the ear on which the kernels grow.

f) The seed coat protects the starch and

embryo from insects and diseases, both
at planting and in storage.
g) The corn seed radicle is the first part of
a growing plant embryo that emerges
from the seed during germination. The
radicle is the first root of the plant and
grows downward in the soil.
h) The corn seed coleoptile is a pointed
protective sheath covering the emerging shoot (epicotyl) that pushes above the
ground for the first leaves to appear.
i) The corn hypocotyl is a region between the radicle and the coleoptile and forms more
roots.
j) The corn seed epicotyl is a region inside the coleoptile that forms the leaves and
stems.
k) The first leaf, the true first leaf comes from the inside of the coleoptile and is
distinguished by having a rounded tip. All other future leaves have a pointed tip. This
first leaf will fall off as the plant is growing and the stem is enlarging. By six leaves
the first leaf is hard to find.

Topic 3. Methods of Corn Seed Production

In techniques of quality seed production, these are the following points:

A. Technical Aspects where various techniques are adopted for producing quality
seeds.
B. Management Aspects where the individual farmers are managed through
cooperatives and groups in order to secure sufficient quality of seeds and stable
sales of the products.
A. TECHNICAL ASPECTS FOR QUALITY SEED PRODUCTION
(Basic Knowledge for Corn Cultivation)

Various Stages of a Germinated Corn Plant

a) Seedling Stage
It is the initial stage of the corn plant with 2-4 leaves
after emergence. It takes 1-2 weeks’ time after the seed
plantation.

Two leaf stage after germination of a corn

plant.

b) Growth Stage of Corn

Major growth stage of corn is to certain height equal to
knee-length height. It takes 35-40 days’ time period.
First side dressing is done in this stage. Likewise, first
side dressing and last weeding and cultivation are also
done in this stage.
Growing stage of a corn plant.

c) Tasseling Stage
This stage is also called stage of male flower
emergence (pollen formation) or Tasseling Stage. The
Tassel is formed after 14th or 15th leaves in corn plant,
and final side dressing should be done during this
stage for good yields. Tasseling stage of the corn plant.

d) Silking Stage
This stage is also called as cob formation stage. In this
stage, Gynoecia are developed. Generally, Cob also
emerges between 7th to 11th leaves.

Silking emergence stage of a corn plant.

e) Milking Stage
The development of blisters/kernels starts after the
completion of pollination, and silks emerge at the upper
end of the cob ear. The outer husk is also green, and
the blisters appear to be milky. This is the best period
to eat green corn. Milking stage of a corn plant.
 Topic 4. General Schedule for Corn Cultivation and Technical Works
*The general schedule for corn cultivation and technical works is indicated in the following
table:

Corn Seed Production Calendar

ACTIVITIES
Field Use of Control
Stages of Inspection Fertilizers of Pests
Month Farm Works
Plants and
Disease
s
December - Land Initial stage of Application of well
February Preparation applying ripen compost/
compost/Farm Farm Yard
Yard Manure Manure
3 week of Application
rd
Apply the Seed treatment by
March – 3rd of Fertilizer/ following fungicide
week of Seed amount of
April treatment fertilizer to the
by field and
fungicides: plowing the
Captan of land before
Thiram sowing.
Urea:
2.6kg/500 sqm.
Potash: 2.5
kg/500sqm.
Seed 1.5kg
sowing and seed/500sqm.
pressing
soil
4 week of Five
th
leaf First field First side White First weeding
April - 4th stage of inspection dressing grub
week of corn (20-25 Off barring
May cm Uproot Urea:
seedlings diseased 0.87kg/500sqm
height) and off
type plants
2nd week of Knee- Second Second side Stem Second weeding
May – 2 nd
height field dressing borer
week of stage inspection Second soil
June Urea: covering and
Uproot 0.87kg/500sqm make drainage
diseased
and off- First irrigation if
type plants possible
4th week of Tasseling Third field Third side Gray leaf
May – 4th stage inspection dressing spot
week of
June Uproot Urea:
diseased 0.87kg/500sqm
and off
type plants
1st week of Silking Stalk rot
June – 1st stage of corn
week of
July
4th week of Seed Black
June – 4th formation smut of
week of or Milking corn
July stage
3rd week of Seed Fourth field Ear rot of
July – 3rd ripening inspection corn
week of stage (cob
August fully Remove
formed) diseased
plants and
cobs.
In August Harvesting Fifth field Harvest the corn
stage inspection cons after rainfall
(do not season stop and
select the in sunny day.
cobs
infected
with pests
and
diseases
for the
seed
purpose)

1) Climate and Soil Condition

 Although warm weather is favorable for corn farming, it can be grown
successfully in various kinds of weather conditions.
 Minimum 200C temperature for corn production and 21-270C temperature during
growth period are suitable for corn farming.
 High rainfalls during tasseling stage in mid-hill region can lead to increase soil
borne disease and pests. Thus, it is necessary that tasseling stage should be
before starting of rainy season, which may be possible by early sowing of corn
(up to 2nd week of April).
 Water logging in corn field for 6-8 hours can decay the roots and the plant starts
withering. Hence, the maize field should be well-drained during rainy season.
 2) Marketing Plan
 Before seed production, cooperative should consider how much seeds that could
be sold in the market and how much quantity of seeds can be stored. By
considering this, cooperative should make the plan of selecting the land and
cultivation for seed production.

3) Selection of Land
 The quality of seed production by individual farmer is very difficult, because it is
necessary to maintain the isolation distance in the seed production field.
Therefore, necessary quantity of seeds can be produced in a designated area for
seed production involving all farmers of a particular area. That’s why selection
has to be done through cooperative.
 In this sense, land selection should be done through seed production
cooperative.
 As there are high chances of pollination of corn with other variety, the isolation
distance of minimum 300 meter is necessary for seed production.
 South face is suitable to produce corn seed in mid-hill region.
 In seed production land, we should follow proper sanitation and follow crop
rotation.

4) Crop Rotation for Reducing Diseases and Pests

 For the controlling of pest and disease, same family crop should not be
continuously cultivated every year in same ploy, and crop rotation should be
adopted in every 3/3 years for seed production.
 If farmers cultivate corn every year in the same plot, virus and other soil-borne
diseases will be increased gradually.
 The crop rotation can be adopted as given below:
o Farmers should divide their field into 3 plots.
o In the first year, cultivate the corn in 1 st plot, cultivate the potato in 2 nd plot if
possible cultivate legume in 3rd plot.
 In 2nd year, continue the same procedure following the same time and season but
rotate the crops like corn will be in 2 nd plot, potato in 3rd plot and legume or
vegetable will be in the 1st plot.
 In the third year, do same as before by rotating the crop.
 This way, every three years, there will be changing the crops in farmers’ field,
which will help to control and eradicate the disease in the crop production field.

Works before Cultivation of Corn

1) Selection of Variety
 Selection of Variety shall be done in coordination with the seed production
group/cooperative, under the support of Department of Agriculture.
 The recent variety having more demand and adapted to particular environment
should be selected.

2) Germination Test of Foundation Seed

  Germination of seeds should be tested in order to identify the vigor and
germination rate of seed, which helps to identify the health quality of seed, future
growth of seedlings and amount of future yield.
 If the seed has good germination vigor, higher number of seed germinated; the
required amount can be harvested.
 The germination rate of seed can be identified in the following ways:
o If possible, dip the seeds in water for 24 hours before the germination test.
o Keep soil in a flexible container or carton box and remove stones from the
soil.
o Take 200 seeds randomly from the foundation seed bag.
o Sow the 100 seed in one carton box making10 rows with 10 seeds in each
row, and repeat the same process for another 100 seeds in other carton box,
for simultaneously getting more exact germination rate. During sowing, seed
to seed distance should be 2.5 cm to 3 cm and the depth should be double of
the seed size, and should provide daily irrigation.
o Count seedlings up to 7 days to know the vigor of seed. If we found more
than 85% germination, then only we can use those foundation seeds for
cultivation.
o If germination rate of seed found less than 85, then cooperative should
request to DA or relevant governmental authorities (from when they
purchased seed) for providing another good seed lot to them.

Germination Test Methods of Corn Seed

1. Making line with finger. 2. Sowing corn seeds in line. 3. Corn seeds sown in a row.

4. Covering seeds with soil.

5. Watering the planted seeds. 6. Sprouted corn plant.

3) Treatment of Seed before Sowing

 Corn seeds should be treated by fungicides for controlling damping-off of plant in
initial stage.
 For seed treatment, 1.5 gm of Captan or Thiram fungicide is needed per kilogram
of seed. 1.5 kg of seeds needs to cultivate for 500 square meters and 2.25 gm of
Captan or Thiram fungicides is enough to treat that much of seed.
 The following caution should be considered while treating seeds with fungicide:
o Mix the fungicides with corn seeds in an air tight pot or container with lead
cover, and stir it vigorously for 8-10 minutes.
o Windy place must be avoided as it can sweep away powder.
 o Children, pregnant women and old-aged people are more vulnerable to
pesticides therefore, they should not be involved while treating the seeds.
o Use only pesticides of proper quantity.
o Wash thoroughly with water when fungicide touches your skin directly.

4) Land Preparation and Sowing

a) Field Sanitation before Cultivation
 In case residues of earlier crops remain in the field, the larva of the pest and
disease of the previous crops stay alive in the soil, and attack the new crops
as well. Therefore, field should be cleaned after harvesting.
b) Application of FYM (Farm Yard Manure)
 Around 50-60 bamboo baskets of well-fermented FYM per 500 sq.m. should
be applied during the land preparation during land preparation or first
plowing (1-2 month earlier of cultivation).
 Use of unfermented FYM can increase pest such as white grubs, cut worms
and other worms.
 In case, heaps of FYM put in the field for long time, the nutrients in the FYM
will be lost and insect may lay eggs in the heaps. So, it should be better
spread the manure and plowing the field immediately.
c) First plowing
 1-2 month before planting, December-January first plowing should be done.
 Plowing should be done after putting the well fermented FYM as organic
fertilizer on the field.
 Plow the field two times, which will make the soil loose and make easy for
aeration and root growth. In the first time, plow the field 5-8cm deep and
second time 10-15cm deep should be done.
 In case, there is big size of soil clods present in the field after first plowing,
the breaking of those clods should be done manually with the help of spade
or other equipment before those clods become hard.
d) Second Plowing and Sowing of Corn
 The field should be plowed second time just before seed sowing in line with
the application of basal dose of chemical fertilizers.
 Line sowing has an advantage over broadcasting as it requires less seed,
facilitates easy weed control and field inspection.
 Just after sowing of seeds, we should press the soil, which will conserve the
moisture and will help for easy germination.
e) Sowing
 Time of Corn sowing and harvesting according to different region:
For the corn cultivation, 24 hours’ average temperature should be at least 100C.
  Methods of Sowing Seeds
1. Foundation seeds will be soaked for one-night in water, and dry it slightly
in the shadow before sowing.
2. Field needs to have adequate moisture (when the condition of the surface
of the field soil become somehow brownish, and when we take the soil on
palm and tight it with fingers, it will slowly break after releasing the fingers)
during sowing time for using water soaked seeds.
3. 2-3 corn seeds should be sown in each spot with 3-5cm deep in rows.
4. Seeds should be sown in the spacing of 20-24 cm from seed and 60-38
cm from line to line.
f) Application of Chemical Fertilizer
 The half dose of Urea and full dose of Potash should be applied in line and
plow the field, then sow.

Farming Activities during Growth Period

a) Weeding
 Uprooting and removing the weeds from the field.
 Weeding helps to control the weeds in the field due to which plants get sufficient
space, moisture, nutrients from the soil and higher production will be obtained.
 Weeding should be done at least two times during the plant growth stage.
i. First weeding. Various unnecessary weeds may grow in corn field. Hence
firstly, after 25-30 days of sowing, we should weed the field by the help of
hand or space and take the weeds away from the field.
ii. Second weeding. The weeds should also be removed on knee-height stage
as second weeding after 20-25 days of first weeding.
iii. Third weeding. The seeds should be removed again on tasseling stage as
third weeding after 20-25 days of second weeding.

b) Thinning and Transplanting

i. Thinning
o After 25-30 days of sowing corn, at 4-5 leaf stage, thinning should be
done.
o Thinning means practice of keeping only one healthy seedling per hill
and removing other unnecessary seedling from each spot.
o Thinning should be done just after the first weeding at the same time.
o Thinning helps to control competition for nutrition, water, and sunlight
among the plants. As a result, remained one plant develops well.
ii. Transplanting
o The removed plants during thinning can be transplanted to the missing
spot of field.
o In case the missing spot found, the transplanting should be done after
enough watering. But the root of the corn should be pulled out with the
soil in the root; otherwise, there might be problem of no formation of
cob, or no kernel on the cob.
c) Making Ridge
  As the first ridge, after the third weeding and top dressing, each nodal rot of corn
plant should be covered by soil for the prevention of lodging plants.
 The second ridge should be strengthened by gathering soil around the stem of
corn plants, placing the plants in the middle of row to prevent logging during
heavy rain.

d) Side dressing
i. 1st side dressing. After 25-30 days of sowing, we apply urea immediately as
first side dressing and weeds have to be removed before side dressing.
ii. 2nd side dressing. After 20-25 days of first side dressing, during knee-height
stage, we should apply the urea as second side dressing and weeds have
to be removed before side dressing.
iii. 3rd side dressing. After 20-25 days after 2nd side dressing during tasseling
stage, we have to apply urea as 3rd side dressing immediately just after 3rd
weeding.
e) Irrigation: (only in case of availability of irrigation facility)
 For the quality seed production, soil must have adequate moisture until 40-45
days from sowing. Likewise, soil moisture should be maintained also in the
tasseling and kernel developing stage. Irrigation is necessary after the first
weeing and during the tassel stage if the field goes dry.
f) Making Drainage
 After the third weeding and side dressing, each nodal root of corn plant should be
covered by soil and make drainage for the prevention of lodging in plants.
g) Field inspection
 Field inspection will help to reduce high quality seed by controlling disease and
maintaining physical purity.
h) Removing Off-types Plants
 Off-types plants mean different than majority of plants in the field in the condition
like plant height, leaf shape, leaf color and such plants should be removed.
 Off-types plants should be removed from the field which will help to maintain the
purity of seeds.
i) Removing of Diseased Plants
 Disease infected plants should be removed from the seed production field, which
will control spreading of seed-borne disease to other farmer’s field.
 The diseased plants should be taken away from the field and properly disposed
by burying in the soil. Be careful these infected plants should not be fed to the
animals.
j) Field Inspection
i. First Field inspection (five leaf stage – after one month of sowing)
o Inspect the plants in the field and remove those which are too taller or
too shorter in plant height among majority of plants. Similarly, plants
having the different color, shape, size, width of leaf should also be
removed.
o Inspect the plants and remove those which are different in thickness of
stalk.
ii. Second Field Inspection
o Knee-height stage (after one moth of first field inspection)
 o Inspect the plants and remove those having non-uniformity in color, size
and shape of leaf, thicker or thinner stalk plants among all plants in the
field.
iii. Third Field Inspection
o Tasseling stage (45-50 days after sowing)
o Inspect and remove the plants which are too taller and too shorter in
height.
o Inspect the field and remove those plants with no uniform tassel
formation (too early tassel formed or too late tassel formed plants)
iv. Fourth Field Inspection
o Before harvesting (about 4 months after sowing)
o Remove the plant and cob infected by any kind of disease to the seed
and use those for other purpose.
v. Fifth Field Inspection
o During harvesting time (after 4 and a half months from sowing)
o Remove the disease infected cobs from the seed lot during harvesting
time.

MAJOR PESTS AND THEIR CONTROL METHODS

Pest Symptoms of Damage Control Methods

White Grub It lives in soil and feed 1. Ploughing the field
roots which caused and destroy it picking
death of plant. up the white grub
manually.
2. Irrigating sufficient
water, it can also be
destroyed.
3. Do not use
unfermented FYM
4. In case there is the
prevalence of white
grub every year, use 2
kg of Metarrhizium
pesticide per square
meter mixing with soil
during second
ploughing time.
5. Metarrhizium can also
use by mixing with soil
in second weeding in
highly infected field.

Stem borer It initially feeds leaves 1. Remove the borer

and finally enters inside infected corn plant
stalk and damages it from the field and can
 eating the growing also be fed to the
shoot and flesh inside. animal.
2. Use Carbofuran
pesticide 4-5 granules
per plant placing them
at tassel growing part
of corn at knee-height
stage.

Common Ear starts turning red 1. Cultivate disease

Ear Rot from the tip and resistant variety.
Disease spreads down rotting 2. As ear rot disease is
(Fusarium the whole cob. found in wounded cob
Disease) and borer affect plant,
such plants should be
removed as soon as
possible if seen.
3. Properly sanitize the
field after harvesting
and before sowing.
4. Proper seed treatment
with 2 grams Bevistine
fungicide for one
kilogram.
5. Maintain the crop
rotation in every 3
years with other crops.
6. Early sowing of corn
result in the formation
of cob before heavy
rainfall start which can
control this disease.
7. Make good drainage
facility in the field.
Black Smut The tassels become 1. Apply healthy seed.
Disease black and rot. The cob 2. Seed treatment with 2
(Fungal is filled with blackish grams Vitave-200
Disease) powdery dusts in place (Bevistine) fungicide
of kernels. for one kilogram in
highly affected plot.
3. If black smut disease
appears in corn field,
wrap it with
polyethylene bag
without dropping on
field, chop the stalk
and burry it or burn it
 down.
4. Controlling of corn
borer by the use of
Carbofuran (Furadan
3%) for preventing
infection of disease.
Stem Rot Blackening of stalk 1. This disease is
Disease - near about second occurred after the
Pythium node from soil surface, attack of borer, hence,
Stalk the stem rots and stalk use of Carbofuran
(Bacterial collapses. The stalk (Furadan 3%) to
disease) with water soaked control the borers.
releases offensive 2. Follow other additional
smell. measures like of
common ear rot
disease.

Downy Leaves turn yellowish 1. Properly sanitize the

Mildew and streaks appear on field after harvesting
(Fungal leaves. and before sowing.
Disease) 2. Maintain the crop
rotation in every 3
years with other crops.
3. Cultivate disease
resistant varieties.
4. Spray fungicide.

Topic 5. Harvesting of Corn

Generally, the corn cobs should be harvested after full mature stage. The harvesting
time is after the heavy rainfall stops (the husk should become dry, dark brownish and seed
should also dried on the cob of standing plant in the field). At time of harvesting, a black spot
is seen in the bottom (side attached to the cob) of seed. This black spot suggests it is ready
for harvest. Harvesting of cob should be done only after stopping the heavy rain and also the
harvesting should be done in sunny day.

Pre-maturation stage (this is not the Full maturation stage (proper time of
proper time to harvest) harvesting Corn for seed production)

Post-harvest Processing and Storage

 After harvest, corn seeds should be further sorted in order to have a good quality.
The following process should be followed:

a) Selection of Corn after Harvest

 Select cobs of equal size with thick husks.
 Remove rotten cob and the cob which are not completely covered with husk.
 Remove the cobs with too big and too small kernels (seeds)
 Remove the kernels from the top and bottom part of a cob for selecting
uniform kernels as seed.
 Remove cobs or kernels should be used for food consumption, but not for
seed.
b) Works after Selecting Seeds
i. Cleaning seeds by farmers
o Seed cleaning is very necessary for the quality seed production.
o While cleaning, remove weed seeds, dust, wrinkled seeds and seeds from
other crops.
ii. Winnowing fans
o The hand operated and power operated winnowing fans can be used for
the purpose of cleaning threshed seeds.
o Generally, winnowing fans are available from agriculture machinery shops
in urban areas.
c) Drying of Seeds
 Seeds are dried out to lower the moisture level to keep the longevity of the
seed.
 Excessive moisture in the seed may loss its viability soon and also may be
attacked by fungus.
 Properly dried seeds can be stored for long time. Hence the seeds are dried
out for several times in the sun before storage. If the seeds are sufficiently
dried, the kernels will make a clinking sound when crushed.
d) Storing Seeds
 The storage structure must protect the corn seeds from extreme heat or cold
and moisture which cause microbial and fungal growth. The storage should
also protect the seeds from pests and rodents which eats or damage the
seeds.
e) Moisture Management
 If the moisture is more than 12% at the time of storage, the level of both heat
and water increases due to intensified respiration in seeds, in this condition,
the risk of fungus attack increases and reduces the quality of seeds.
 The seeds should be stored only after drying in the sun for 4-5 times.
 The experienced seed producer farmer can also identify the moisture of a
seed.

Moisture Contents and Storage Duration

Moisture content of seeds Storage duration
10-12% For 8-12 months
<9% For more than 1 year
Teaching and Learning Activities
1. Draw/illustrate the parts of a corn plant.
2. What is the economic importance of corn in the Philippines?
3. Uses of corn in the Philippines.
4. What are the equipment used to harvest corn?
5. Enumerate some corn seed producing companies in the Philippines.
6. What are the problems encountered by corn seed producers?

Assessment Tasks

Label the Parts:

Analyze the description/definition of the following parts of a corn and label the parts.
________________________________1.
________________________________2.
________________________________3.
________________________________4.
________________________________5.
________________________________6.
________________________________7.
________________________________8.
________________________________9.
________________________________10.
________________________________11.
________________________________12.
________________________________13.
________________________________14.

Discuss the following:

1. What is the difference between hilling-up and off-barring? Explain.
2. What is the importance of side dressing in corn seed production?

References
a. Maize seed production manual at
https://www.jica.go.jp/nepal/english/office/others/c8h0vm0000bjww96-att/tm_3.pdf.
b. Principles of Seed Technology at
https://www.agrimoon.com/wp-content/uploads/PRINCIPLES-OF-SEED-
TECHNOLOGY.pdf.
c. Emerging corn plant structures at
https://www.corn-seed-technology/contents/upload.pdf