Question

During hybrid seed production, detasseling is done to avoid self-pollination. In which of the following crops, detasselssing is done during hybrid seed production ?

• A. Grain sorghum
• B. Pearl millet
• C. Maize
• D. Wild rice

Hint:

Detasseling is only possible in monoecious crops with distinct, separated male and female floral structures. Since maize is the only monoecious crop among the options, it is the only crop where detasseling is practiced.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Hybrid seed production requires preventing self-pollination in the maternal (female) parent line to ensure that all seeds set are the result of cross-pollination by the paternal (male) parent line.
Detasseling is the physical removal of male floral parts before they can shed pollen.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the floral biology of the listed crops:
- Maize (*Zea mays*): This is a monoecious crop with separate male and female inflorescences on the same plant.
The male inflorescence, located at the apex of the stem, is called the tassel.
The female inflorescences develop lower down on the stem axils and are called the ears (silks).
During hybrid maize seed production, the parental lines are planted in alternating rows of female and male parents.
Before the female parent plants can shed any pollen, workers physically pull out the young male tassels—a process called detasseling.
This forces the silks of the female rows to be pollinated solely by the pollen carried by wind from the male rows, ensuring 100% hybrid seed formation.
- Let us evaluate why other options are incorrect:
- Sorghum, Pearl millet, and Wild rice: These are hermaphrodite (bisexual) monocot grasses where the male and female parts are located within the same florets on a single spikelet or panicle, making physical detasseling anatomically impossible. These crops require cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) or chemical hybridizing agents for hybrid seed production.
Therefore, detasseling is performed exclusively on maize.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Detasseling is performed during hybrid seed production in Maize.