AbstractThree single cross (Zea mays L.) corn hybrids, ‘Hy2×Oh7,’ ‘R4xl06,’ and ‘K4xl06’ were used to study the influence of tiller removal and the presence of grain‐bearing and nongrain‐bearing tillers on yield of grain, grain protein, and wt/100 kernels of main plants with one, two, or three ears each.Plants3 of the three hybrids from which tillers were removed produced essentially the same yield of grain, grain protein and wt/100 kernels as compared to plants with no original tillers. Therefore, the tiller‐producing potential of plants of these hybrids was not associated with superior performance as compared to plants with no original tillers, except for yield of grain of K4 × 106.Plants of the three hybrids with grain‐bearing tillers produced essentially the same yield of grain, grain protein and wt/100 kernels as did plants with no original tillers. Consequently, grain‐bearing tillers did not translocate significant amounts of nutrients to ears on the main plants, with one exception, even under stress of two or three ears per plant.The stress of developing two or three ears/plant resulted in translocation of larger amounts of nutrients to cars on main plants from nongrain‐bearing tillers than from grain‐bearing tillers for the three hybrids, but the increases were significant only for Hy2 × Oh7 and R4 × 106.