La production de maïs de semence. Sur la gauche sont les rangées de plantes productrices de semences, à droite ceux avec des fleurs sur la gauche pour le pollen.
4850 x 3638 px | 41,1 x 30,8 cm | 16,2 x 12,1 inches | 300dpi
Date de la prise de vue:
3 septembre 2014
Lieu:
Gland, Canton Vaud, Switzerland
Informations supplémentaires:
This photograph shows the production techniques for producing hybrid seed maize. Hybrid maize is a cross-breed between different varieties, which tends to produce larger and hardier plants. Seeds for hybrid maize are produced by cross pollinating different inbred lines of maize and they account for more than 90% of all maize grown commercially. On the left on the image are rows of (female) seed-producing plants of one variety. Seed cobs can just be seen. These plants have had their flowering tops cut off to prevent them producing pollen. This means that the pollen for fertilising their seeds must come from the rows to the right of the image, which are plants of the second variety. The flowering tops of these plants can be seen. In the field five rows of the seed-bearing variety are alternated with five rows of the pollinating variety across the field. The hybrid seeds are only harvested from the plants with their flowering tops cut off. The other plants may be used for animal feed.
