Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding

338 CHAPTER 18
Most modern hybrids are a single cross, meaning that the pollen comes from one male inbred and fertilizes – or crosses – with
a different female inbred. To assure this cross – and only this cross – occurs, the female tassel is removed prior to shedding pollen
so that it does not pollinate itself. Automated mechanical cutters and wheel puller-type detasselers are used to handle some of this
work initially. Pioneer also employs thousands of teenagers and adults to complete female detasseling by hand. This work is
finished only when Pioneer inspectors certify that at least 99.5% of the female tassels in a field have been pulled. Fields not meeting
this standard are abandoned as far as seed production is concerned.
Harvest is an especially busy time of year at the production locations and generally begins when the seed corn moisture in the
field reaches its physiological maturity level of 35–40%, this being much higher than the 15–20% moisture level for the harvest of
grain. Pioneer research has shown that harvesting seed corn at this higher moisture level and drying it gradually in a controlled
environment results in improved yield and quality. However, a freeze at this level of moisture could result in reduced germination
levels. At this time of year, production locations run multiple shifts and longer workweeks to accommodate getting the crop in
before the weather can adversely impact the crop.
Throughout its growth, the crop has been tracked with sophisticated systems. This careful supervision continues during conditioning.
These systems will continue to keep the local production team informed of a wide range of product aspects – origin,
amount, location, quality, conditioning activities underway, etc.
When it is ready, the crop is mechanically picked on the cob with the husk on – much like sweetcorn – rather than combined
and shelled in the field as grain is harvested. “Husk-on” harvesting ensures gentler handling and helps protect the relatively soft
corn seed during this harvest and transportation stage.
A given hybrid, and that hybrid alone, is brought to the unloading area at the production location where the ears are gently
unloaded. Between hybrids, the area is thoroughly cleaned to assure there is no mixing of products. Next is the husking and sorting
stage, where the husk is removed, and a visual inspection is made of every ear. Any that fail are discarded. Hybrid seed is then
dried slowly at low temperatures to just under 13% moisture. The dried corn moves by conveyer to the sheller where seed kernels
are carefully removed from the cob while avoiding damage to the living seed. Semifinished seed is then moved to special bulk
storage bins, equipped with electronic sensors to monitor the seed temperature and which can quickly engage fans to keep the
seed cool during storage.
From here, seed is gently moved by bucket elevators and belt conveyors to seed sizing. This stage physically categorizes seed
by width and thickness, so that packaged seed will be uniform. Some farmers request uniform seed size to maintain proper plant
populations.
All seed is treated with a fungicide to protect it from soil-borne fungi. Depending on customer requirements, other insecticide
seed treatments may be subsequently applied to protect seed from insects once it is out in the farmers’ fields.
As the seed moves through the production location, quality tests are run to evaluate the seed’s status. Seed lots meeting minimum
quality standards proceed, while seed lots failing the standard are held aside for further evaluation or discard. The overriding
concern is maintaining purity and assuring seed quality.
The final stage of production is packaging. Seed can be packaged into bags of 80,000 kernels, packaged into larger containers,
such as PROBOX (holding from 25–50 units) or handled in an unpackaged manner. Regardless of package type, however, every
one contains a tag that gives the grower important information about the hybrid type and size, special traits, date of germination
tests, origin of the seed, and other information.
Seed is then shipped to Pioneer sales agents around North America and other markets throughout the globe. Computer technology
provides the tools needed to track the increasingly complex and vast inventory of seed from Pioneer, allowing the company
to ship seed when and where it is needed.
At the end of the customers’ planting season, unused seed is returned to Pioneer’s Supply Management warehouses and stored
in large coolers during the hot summer months to better assure that seed germination is preserved. Quality tests continue to be
run on each seed lot even while in storage so that the company understands the seed vigor of all of its products. Seed lots that
deteriorate beyond acceptable limits during this extended storage period are discarded. The company regularly checks its product
supply against anticipated customer demand and lays out plans for growing new crops if needed to assure supplies meet
what the customers need.
Sales
The Pioneer sales organization is among the most well trained and equipped in the industry. In North America, Pioneer distributes
its seed products through a network of more than 2,500 independent sales reps and several thousand retail dealer outlets in the
south and west. More than 90% of the Pioneer sales reps are qualified as Certified Crop Advisors, requiring extensive study of
plant agronomy, written exams, and follow-up courses.
When the Pioneer sales organization was created in the late 1920s and 1930s, many of the salesmen were farmers who saw the
value of the hybrid corn, offering credible testimonials to their neighbors. This was key to getting farmers to accept the new concept
of buying hybrid seed corn, rather than using grain produced in their fields. Initially, most of these salespeople were full-time
farmers. Because the seed market has become increasingly complex, the modern Pioneer sales organization has evolved into a
system of professional salespeople who are dedicated to more full-time selling, with extensive training programs and a demand