The tassel is at the very top of the corn plant and contains the anthers that produce the pollen.

The silk is at the top of the corn ear and receives the pollen. Every silk tube leads to one grain and any that are not pollenated will form no corn nut.

I go out early in the morning and cut off a tassel and gently shake it over the silk of numerous ears. When it is 'pollened out" I re-attach it with a small piece of wire or just set it back in an upper area of the plant. Eventally after several days, most of the tassels have been used up this way.

The corn earworm is a plain looking moth. It pupates in the ground so that new beds or ones that have been re-worked have fewer adult moths to lay eggs.

Do not put oil (ot anything else) on the tassel.

The silk should not be treated with anything until it starts to fade. By then the pollenation should be finished.

I would suggest about an eyedroppers's worth of very dilute resmethrin put right at the top of each ear. I mix up a solution with one eyedropper per gallon if it is going directly on plants (such as for aphids) and two eyedroppers per gallon for other pests (such as ants).