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Nectar Characteristics Associated With Sources of Alfalfa Germplasm¹

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a major source of nectar for honey production in the USA. No cultivars have been developed especially for nectar productivity. The objective of the research reported here was to survey the nectar characteristics of alfalfa plants from various parental germplasms. Greenhouse-grown plants from 82 cultivars were assayed for nectar volume per 100 florets, percent nectar solids (sugars), and ratios of sucrose, fructose, and sucrose. Highly significant differences occurred among alfalfa sources for all traits measured. An index developed with visual scores for flower size and nectar quantity was correlated (r = 0.80) with extracted nectar volume. It should be possible to breed alfalfa cultivars with wide ranges in nectar characteristics.

Key Words: Medicago sativa L. • Nectar volume • Nectar sugars

² Research geneticist, SEA-USDA and Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics and professor, Dep. of Entomology, Fisheries, and Wildlife, respectively.

Received for publication February 6, 1978.