Pollen production by Vg tassels
--Walton C. Galinat

Pollen production by vestigial glume (Vg) sweet corn has always presented a breeding problem. In a normal background, the Vg gene has a stronger effect on the tassel while the reverse with the stronger effect on the ear is the desired objective. The naked flowered tassels sun-blast and, thereby, become effectively male-sterile. Modifying genes that restore some degree of pollen shedding to Vg plants include intermediate tunicate alleles, intrusive tassels and anther color. To these we now add small anthers bred to fit the reduced tassel glumes. The small anther gene (sa) was found to be linked to Vg on chromosome 1.

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