Aphid-supporting maize mutant?

[Richard Winder]

In article <adwright.729977102 at vincent1.iastate.edu>, adwright at iastate.edu 
writes:
>In <9302162317.AA19896 at mail.sas.upenn.edu> spoethig at MAIL.SAS.UPENN.EDU 
("R. Scott Poethig") writes:
>
>>A little while back someone mentioned in a note to the newsgroup that he 
thought he may have found a maize mutant that supports large populations of 
aphids. 
>

(etc.)

>I posted it. I only got six seed but am increasing. Some should be available
>in about two months if anyone has an interest. It may be a fluke that this
>plant alone was covered with aphids. It looked normal in every other way. But
>i have never seen so many aphids on a corn plant so there is a good chance
>that it's real.
>Allen Wright

I just listened to a talk given by an organic farmer near here.  In one of his
crops (I think it was maize) about every nth (where n is some number > 10 that
I cannot recall) plant attracts aphids like gangbusters.  He claims he leaves 
them in place, since the aphids mostly concentrate on the bait variety, 
leaving the bulk of the crop alone.  He claimed that sacraficing 1:30 
plants or so did not cause a noticable loss in yield, and he didn't have
to worry about aphid control.  So, I would say your mutant is probably a very
real phenomenon.  -RSW




  RICHARD WINDER                    Title: Visiting Fellow
  Forestry Canada                   Phone: (604) 363-0600
  Victoria, B.C.                    Internet: RWINDER at A1.PFC.Forestry.CA