All the hybrids tested were short on trace minerals, and none contained any cobalt, which is the core element of vitamin B12. We need cobalt to form haemoglobin in the blood, and to prevent nerve degeneration. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause weakness, permanent nerve damage, pain in the extremities, liver enlargement, skin problems, and more. But it's quantity that pays, and hybrids account for 98 per cent of the US corn crop today. In practise though, they are generally developed for bulk.
Nutritional value is ignored.
It is not that open-pollinated corn can't compete. What it lacks in bulk it makes up for in protein content, and it's been found that livestock eat less of it and thrive better. And, when properly grown, well supplied with trace minerals and with its enzyme systems functioning properly, it can, like all healthy creatures, defend itself against pests and disease and doesn't need huge and repeated doses of powerful poisons to survive. Whether hybrids or not, virtually all commercially grown vegetables are heavily chemicalized. Reliance on chemical fertilizers has led to a massive decline of soil fertility.