They are called tillers and they do not produce usable ears. Don't seem to hurt anything, but many folks with small corn patches pull them. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.03/Tillers-0623.html

Agree. If you catch them small enough just snip them off. Otherwise you can usually snap them at the base and remove. Only harm is they use nutrients the main stalk could use instead.

Dave

I leave them in place and the corn does quite well, I have this wild idea about growing corn and see the side shoots as having some purpose and advantages if you feed & water the corn properly. The side shoots act as decoys for earworm and borers, plus many will produce secondary tassels which help pollinate the slightly later lower ears.

I keep the tillers too, because they do help with pollination.

Some varieties produce tillers and some don't. Ambrosia produces them a lot.

I have seen where there are 4 rows and the middle rows are like jungles that breaking them off is probably good.

remove tillers/suckers can damage the root system of corn plant.

there have been several studies have proven this, going back many years

https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.03/Tillers-0623.html

I have not seen a harmful effect.