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Stability of Attractiveness of Alfalfa Clones to Honeybees under Varying Locations, Seasons, and Years 1
Author(s) -
Kauffeld Norbert M.,
Sorensen Edgar L.,
Painter Reginald H.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1969.0011183x000900020035x
Subject(s) - biology , attractiveness , cage , botany , zoology , mathematics , combinatorics , psychology , psychoanalysis
The honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) attractiveness of five highly‐preferred and five relatively nonpreferred clones of alfalfa ( Medicago spp.) as selected during 2 years in two locations, remained consistent for 2 additional years (summer and fall, with and without a cage), one additional location, and with differing total numbers of bees present. The 10 clones were associated with a total of 6,825, 45, and 25 different clones at locations 1, 2, and 3, respectively, but this did not greatly alter their rank in respect to each other. Only eight of 110 attractiveness ranks disagreed with the grouping, highly preferred and least preferred. The coefficient of concordance of 15 clonal rank values was +O.702 (P < .01). Honeybee attractiveness of 45 clones studied varied differentially with locations and years. Attractiveness of certain clones remained high and that of others low. Conversely, other clones were characterized by conspicuous attractiveness alterations over seasons, years, and locations. The preference of honey bees for alfalfa clones in a cage paralleled that in the field (r = +0.946, P < .001).