Corolla Tube Length and Nectar Height of Fl Red Clover Plants (Trifolium pratense) and Their Seed Yield Following Honey-Bee Pollination

Abstract

SummaryCrosses between nine inbred lines of diploid doublecut red clover were measured for corolla tube length and nectar height, caged with honey-bees, and observations made on the number of bee visits and seed yield. There was evidence of additive genetic variation in nectar height, corolla tube length, bee visits and seed yield. The possibilities for improvement in these characters by selection are discussed. Attention is drawn to a remarkable discriminating behaviour of honey-bees, in that they could apparently recognize plants which had only one parent in common. A cage with a strong colony of honey-bees produced more than twice as much seed as a cage with a weak colony, and plants near to hives gave significantly more seed than plants distant from hives. Plants of English origin tended to have higher and more accessible nectar, more bee visits and greater seed yield than plants of continental origin.