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Rader Detasseling is a family owned and operated company. The upcoming season will mark our 42nd year of hiring workers to detassel, rogue, supervise or drive buses. We contract through Pioneer to work fields in the Grand Island, Hastings, Chapman, Giltner, Doniphan and Trumbull areas.

WHAT IS DETASSELING?

Detasseling is the removing of the top or the tassel of the corn plant. It is done so that the plant cannot pollinate itself. The tassel is the male part of the corn plant. The ear shoot with silk is the female part and is located on the lower section of the plant. The pollen from the tassel falls onto the silk, and the corn plant is pollinated. These detasseled varieties are interplanted within rows of another variety that is not detasseled in order to produce cross-pollination. This creates hybrid seed corn. Detasseling machines will remove approximately 70% of the tassels. To remove the rest, people are needed to walk or ride down the row of corn and pull the remaining tassels. The goal is to remove 99.7% of the tassels. Timing is very important. If a field is pulled too early, it decreases the yield. If it is done too late, the corn will pollinate itself, ruining the seed.