Affiliation:
1. Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
2. NIAB Cambridge UK
Abstract
AbstractAdaptations that attract pollinators to flowers are central to the reproductive success of insect‐pollinated plants, including crops. Understanding the influence of these non‐rewarding traits on pollinator preference is important for our future food security by maintaining sufficient crop pollination. We have identified substantial variation in flower shape, petal size, corolla‐tube length, petal spot size and floral volatile compounds among a panel of 30 genetically distinct lines of Vicia faba. Using this variation, we found that Bombus terrestris was able to distinguish between natural variation in petal spot size, floral volatile emissions and corolla‐tube length. Foragers showed some innate preference for spotted flowers over non‐spotted flowers and preferred shorter corolla‐tube lengths over longer tubes. Our results suggest that some floral traits may have significant potential to enhance pollinator attraction to V. faba crops, particularly if paired with optimised rewards.
Funder
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK Government
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Reference105 articles.
1. Biometrical Studies on Variation and Races of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.)
2. Pollination of the broad bean (Vicia faba L. var. major) (Fabaceae) by wild bees and honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and its impact on the seed production in the Tizi‐Ouzou area (Algeria);Aouar‐Sadli M.;African Journal of Agricultural Research,2008
3. Choice in a floral marketplace: the role of complexity in bumble bee decision-making
4. Intraspecific variation in the petal epidermal cell morphology of Vicia faba L. (Fabaceae)
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献