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Days from Pollination to Seed Maturity in Crownvetch¹

Flowers of crownvetch, Coronilla varia L., were hand pollinated in the field at approximately weekly intervals during the growing seasons of 1969 and 1970 to ascertain the time required from pollination to seed maturity. Averaged over both years, the mean time from pollination to fully mature seed was 50 days but ranged from 46 to 59 days, depending upon the date of pollination and the field. Mature seeds are plump with either dull brown or reddish-brown seedcoats. In 1969, none of the flowers pollinated after July 22 produced seeds that matured before commercial harvest in late September and early October, while in 1970, none of the flowers pollinated after August 16 produced mature seeds. The mean number of seeds per pod was 6.7. Mature seeds collected in 1971 from seedpods resulting from flowers pollinated during July had a total germination of 96% of which 92% were hard seeds. Seeds from flowers pollinated in mid-August had a total germination of 82% of which only 11% were hard. These studies suggest that to increase seed yield and seed quality, crownvetch seed fields pollinated by honeybees should be managed so that flowers are pollinated as early as possible during the growing season.

Key Words: Coronilla varia L.

² Former Graduate Student in Entomology, Associate Professor of Entomology Extension, Professor of Agronomy, Associate Professor of Agronomy, and Graduate Assistant in Agronomy, respectively. Dr. Al-Tikrity has returned to Iraq.

Received for publication January 4, 1974.