Published at the Chat 'n Chew Cafe, July 2000
URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/articles.00/SilkBalling-0718-Gallery.html

Photo Gallery:
Scrambled Silks in Corn

R.L. (Bob) Nielsen
Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1150
Email address: rnielsen@purdue.edu
 
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The term 'Scrambled silks' refers to that phenomenon wherein silk elongation, prior to their emergence from the husk leaves, is interrupted or altered, resulting in a mass of scrambled silks near the tip of the cob that never fully emerge from the husk. Another name for this problem is 'silk balling'.

Obviously, any silks that fail to emerge from the husk will not exposed to any pollen and consequently will not contribute to the formation of kernels on the cob. The net result is some degree of barrenness on the cob and, consequently, lower yield. The following images were taken in 1992, the last year I observed significant levels of the problem.

Click on image to load larger version.
Image 1

Purple plant tissue resulting from barrenness due to scrambled silks.		 Image 2

Purple plant tissue resulting from barrenness due to scrambled silks.
Image 3

View of scrambled silks. 		Image 4

View of scrambled silks and poor kernel set.
Image 5

View of poor kernel set. 		Image 6

View of deformed cob tip that can result from pressure of scrambled silks near end of husk.
Image 7

View of deformed cob tip that can result from pressure of scrambled silks near end of husk.		 Image 8

View of scrambled silks.
Image 9

View of scrambled silks. 		Image 10

View of scrambled silks and poor kernel set.
Image 11

View of scrambled silks. 		Image 12

Range in severity of poor kernel set due to scrambled silks.
Image 13

Closeup view of scrambled silks. 		 
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