HelpfulGardener.com

When I worked at Dekalb Corn we use to grow Hybrid corn it was, 4 rows of type A corn planted with 12 rows of type B corn planted, A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B over and over in a 200 acre field. Tassels are removed from the B corn so it can not self pollinate. 12 rows of B corn gets pollinated by 4 rows of A corn. B corn is the only corn that is harvested for seeds. B corn plants will have AB seeds that will grow AB corn plants the following year.

What I don't know is, does the harvest of AB corn plants have AB corn seeds?

It seems logical that AB corn plants will have AB seeds because it gets pollinated by AB plants if the while corn crop is planted with all AB seeds.

It seems logical if I save my own AB seeds they should grow AB plants with more AB seeds if they self pollinate with only my AB plants.

we know that hybrids don’t breed true. the issue is that with this ‘AB’ corn, you’d be getting ‘AA’, ‘AB’, and ‘BB’ genotypes in the new population.

!potatoes! wrote: ↑

Tue May 11, 2021 8:22 am

we know that hybrids don’t breed true. the issue is that with this ‘AB’ corn, you’d be getting ‘AA’, ‘AB’, and ‘BB’ genotypes in the new population.

I have heard they don't grow true but never knew what that means until now.

The genetics is all in the probability of the different possible combinations. It doesn't mean that it will always work out that way in real life.