Have you Googled it? I don't grow corn but most sources indicate a lack of cob development/kernel formation is due to inadequate pollination.

Did you plant the corn in a square block?

tj

Inadequate pollination of an undeveloped cob caused by inadequate fertilization or improper timing of fertilizers at the right leaf stages, and/or improper water which is directly related to how well a plant takes up available nutrients.

Corn is a grass modified by a 1000 years of of selective breeding and a heavy feeder. Modern corn varieties are not something that will grow well without fertilizer inputs, so the question is with what and how did you fertilize your corn? Even if that undeveloped cob had better pollination it would not taste good.

Well, it has been extremely dry for over a month in the Ohio region, so the question is how often did you water, or is it reach of a hose? It also has been unusually cool with cool nights for the end of Summer, if that is a factor.

I would agree with you Don that it doesn't look exactly the same as poor pollination. The kernels seem like they maybe started growing in the middle?

Yes they do look like they started to grow. I did not water much - corn stalk looked ok all along. At times when I watered other things I sometimes hit some corn - but I thought corn got enough from dew so I never paid attention. This would explain why other ears were fine.

Some kernels are perfect is what is weird. I did have a little corn smut that I always caught quickly and removed.