When most growers plant corn, they expect perfect, uniform rows and plump and pearly yellow kernels lining the cob. But a group of USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists intentionally plant the misfits—some gnarled and speckled, others sprouting tassels where ears should be—to perpetuate the wide array of genetic variation in the Midwest’s most economically important crop.
Crucial mutant corn stocks threatened under 2026 USDA budget
