08/06/2026
CORN SILK?!?
Did you know that the silk on corn is actually the female reproductive part of the plant?
Every strand of silk acts as both the Stigma and Style of the corn plant and each strand corresponds to a single kernel! Corn does not require a pollinator like bees or ants, rather a windy day to drop the pollen from the Tassel (male) to the Silk (female)
For every strand that does not receive pollen, that kernel will not develop!
This is why worms can do so much damage in a corn crop. Certainly, we all don’t like the appearance of worms, but to a farmer, an infestation can cause whole crops to not fertilize if the worms chew through the silk before it can pollinate the kernel!
Let us introduce you to our friendly nearly microscopic wasp, the Trichogramma Minutum.
At Taft Farms, each week we release millions of Trichogramma eggs into our fields. When they hatch, each wasp begins a frantic search for one thing…. Corn worm eggs! The wasp will lay its egg inside the egg of the corn worm, and when it hatches, the larvae consumes the worm before it can even hatch!
Using nature to fight nature instead of using pesticides! That’s how we roll.
Please note… these wasps are nearly microscopic. They cannot sting or bite and they also have a very short life cycle. If hosts are not present, they die off within days of hatching.
Research is being done into using Trichogramma wasps to control Spongy Moth, Ash Borer, Spotted Lantern Fly, and many other invasive insects!
Truly a farmers best friend! (sorry Valentine!)
