How to Pollinate Corn (Zea mays)

Corn, or maize, is an economically important crop and frequently used model organism for genetic studies. Controlled pollinations are essential to the execution of these studies. This protocol outlines the basic steps in planning, setting up, and making manual pollinations. In addition, a method of extending pollen for multiple pollinations, as well as types of pollinations and their respective labeling schemes, are detailed. A troubleshooting guide is provided with solutions for common problems one might encounter when making manual pollinations. Although growing conditions and germplasm may cause slight deviations from this protocol, the basic principles can be applied to any corn research program.