A method of selecting one or more times during which designated female plants are ready to receive intentionally applied designated male pollen (pollen M), in a way that does not include natural pollination by wind, insect activity or other naturally-occurring conditions, in order to produce grain of interest, wherein the designated female plant is any one or more of: a corn plant, a soybean plant, a wheat plant, a rice plant, a sunflower plant, a canola plant, a sorghum plant, a barley plant, or a pearl millet plant, wherein the designated female plants include female components that are grown in a minimum field size of 8,000 m 2 (0.8 hectares) in conditions that can expose the female components to undesirable pollen (pollen U), said pollen U being: a. self pollen produced by the male components of the designated female plants; and/or b. pollen produced by neighboring plants, which pollen is capable of pollination of the designated female plants; the method comprising: establishing that the female components of the designated female plants are receptive to receive pollen; and selecting the one or more times in respect of the designated female plants, wherein the one or more times is or are: i. a first time that is the time at which the designated female plants first become receptive to pollen; and/or ii. a second time that is a period of time that is at a time of day when pollen U is not being released and/or released pollen U is no longer viable, such that when the pollen M is intentionally applied, on one or more occasions, by means that do not include natural pollination by wind, insect activity or other naturally-occurring conditions, to the female components of the designated female plants during the period of the second time, then the selected designated female plants are already pollinated by pollen M by the time pollen U next begins to be shed. wherein the designated female plant is any one or more of: a corn plant, a soybean plant, a wheat plant, a rice plant, a sunflower plant, a canola plant, a sorghum plant, a barley plant, or a pearl millet plant, wherein the designated female plants include female components that are grown in a minimum field size of 8,000 m 2 (0.8 hectares) in conditions that can expose the female components to undesirable pollen (pollen U), said pollen U being: a. self pollen produced by the male components of the designated female plants; and/or b. pollen produced by neighboring plants, which pollen is capable of pollination of the designated female plants; the method comprising: establishing that the female components of the designated female plants are receptive to receive pollen; and selecting the one or more times in respect of the designated female plants, wherein the one or more times is or are: i. a first time that is the time at which the designated female plants first become receptive to pollen; and/or ii. a second time that is a period of time that is at a time of day when pollen U is not being released and/or released pollen U is no longer viable, such that when the pollen M is intentionally applied, on one or more occasions, by means that do not include natural pollination by wind, insect activity or other naturally-occurring conditions, to the female components of the designated female plants during the period of the second time, then the selected designated female plants are already pollinated by pollen M by the time pollen U next begins to be shed. a. self pollen produced by the male components of the designated female plants; and/or b. pollen produced by neighboring plants, which pollen is capable of pollination of the designated female plants; establishing that the female components of the designated female plants are receptive to receive pollen; and selecting the one or more times in respect of the designated female plants, wherein the one or more times is or are: i. a first time that is the time at which the designated female plants first become receptive to pollen; and/or ii. a second time that is a period of time that is at a time of day when pollen U is not being released and/or released pollen U is no longer viable, such that when the pollen M is intentionally applied, on one or more occasions, by means that do not include natural pollination by wind, insect activity or other naturally-occurring conditions, to the female components of the designated female plants during the period of the second time, then the selected designated female plants are already pollinated by pollen M by the time pollen U next begins to be shed. i. a first time that is the time at which the designated female plants first become receptive to pollen; and/or ii. a second time that is a period of time that is at a time of day when pollen U is not being released and/or released pollen U is no longer viable, such that when the pollen M is intentionally applied, on one or more occasions, by means that do not include natural pollination by wind, insect activity or other naturally-occurring conditions, to the female components of the designated female plants during the period of the second time, then the selected designated female plants are already pollinated by pollen M by the time pollen U next begins to be shed.