8 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MIELIES FOR DUMMIES ….101
1. The ear / cob of the mielie is part of the flower
2. Each cob will have an even number of rows
3. Maize is used in the production of chewing gum
4. Maize plants have two root structures –a brace root system and a adventitious root system
5. +- 8 million tonnes of maize are produced annually in South Africa
6. The tassel / flower is at the top of the plant and produces the pollen, the male part of the plant. This growth is part of the vegetative growth stage
7. The cob / ear of the mielie has the silks growing out of it, the female part of the plant. This growth is part of the reproductive stage of the growth.
8. When the pollen falls from the tassel to the silks pollination occurs and the mielie cob starts to grow.
Pink Farm Chick 