Wind disrupts detasseling

The wind storm that swept through central Iowa this morning disrupted the summer ritual of seed corn detasseling.

Detasseling, a process that aids development of hybrid seed corn varieties, was to have begun Monday on acreage contracted by the Pioneer Hi-Bred plant at Dysart, according to plant manager Jim Webster.

Webster, who was still assessing damage at noon Monday, said it is too soon to gauge the impact of the storm on local seed corn fields.

“We are looking at it at absolutely the worst time. It will look better in a week,” Webster said.

Even if the local crop is a complete failure, Pioneer's customers will not be adversely affected, he said.

“We grow seed in multiple locations to diversity the risk of bad weather.” Webster said.

The fields that had been slated for detasseling were easily identifiable Monday by the portable toilets lying on their sides in ditches near the fields.