We too found indications that the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), does better on Bt maize (unpubl).
The preliminary studies showed a better germination of maize plant and also supported the growth of plant.
Among the agricultural wastes tested, poultry manure increased the growth and yield characteristics of maize better than Chromolaena, Parkia, neem seed cake, and melon shell.
The presence of α-L-arabinofuranosidase plays an important role by removing arabinose from the side chains of xylan, and β-xylosidase plays a crucial role in reducing the end product inhibition of xylanases by hydrolyzing xylobiose and hence facilitates better bioconversion of maize stover.
R. maidis colonies were found to perform considerably better on Bt maize than on the near isogenic correspondent lines.
Recent reports suggest that aphids actually perform better on Bt maize lines than on their near isogenic counterparts [8] [11], but the generality and cause of the differences remain, as yet, unknown.
That aphids do indeed better on Bt maize also follows from the studies by Pons and colleagues, who found a significantly higher rate of offspring production by colonizing alate mothers of R. padi and consequently higher densities of this species on Bt maize [10], [11].
Several studies carried out in Italy have shown that weedy rice control in soybean is usually better than in maize (Ferrero and Vidotto, 1997b).
Maize-consuming populations would be nutritionally better off if the maize consumed had the lysine and tryptophan genes of QPM or if it were consumed with a sufficient amount of protein foods such as legumes, milk, soybeans and amaranth seeds and leaves.
Furthermore, complementing a proteomic with a metabolomics analysis provides us with a better understanding of the maize embryonic callus induction process.
