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Published in Crop Sci 19:874-878 (1979)
© 1979 Crop Science Society of America
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Environmental and Genetic Influences on Alfalfa Nectar1

L. R. Teuber and D. K. Barnes2

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a major source of nectar for honey production in the USA, but no attempts have been made to improve its nectar production potential. The objectives of this research were to provide basic information on several environmental and genetic factors to establish recommended sampling and selection procedures for a nectar breeding program.

Two high, two intermediate, and two low nectar-producing clones from each of two unrelated sources (‘Vernal’ and ‘Team’) were used to study the effect of soil moisture, raceme age, and raceme position on nectar volume and percentage solids. Twenty-eight clones from Vernal were used to compare measurements of nectar volume and percentage solids on plants grown in the field and greenhouse. Inheritance studies of nectar volume were conducted on diallel crosses made among six parents in each of two populations. Design II crosses were made between populations. Pxogenies from all crosses were grown in the greenhouse.

Soil moisture did not significantly affect either nectar volume or percentage solids in the nectar. Raceme age significantly affected nectar volume but not percentage solids in the nectar. Racemes with newly opened terminal florets had less nectar than either intermediate age racemes or older racemes on which some basal florets were beginning to wilt. Raceme position on the stem did not affect either nectar volume or percentage solids in the nectar. The correlation between field and the average of three greenhouse measurements of nectar vol. nine was significant (r = 0.49, 26 dr). Nectar volume plants selected based on two greenhouse sampling dates (May-October) was 125% of the nectar volume of the population grown in the field. Results of the inheritance study indicated there were no reciprocal differences for nectar volume and that inheritance of nectar volume was predominantly additive. A recommended list of sampling procedures was developed for nectar breeding.

Key Words: Medicago sativa L. • Nectar solids and volume • Soil moisture • Raceme age and position • Inheritance • Diallel analysis

1 Joint contribution, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Minnesota Agric. Exp. Stn., and USDA-SEA-AR. Part of the senior author's Ph.D. Thesis. Paper No. 10,501. Scientific Journal Series, Minnesota Agric. Exp. Stn.

2 Former graduate research assistant, Univ. of Minnesota (now assistant professor, Dep. of Agronomy and Range Sci., Univ. of California, Davis, CA 95616) and research geneticist, USDASEA-AR, in the Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, respectively.

Received for publication January 25, 1979.




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