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Influence of Phenotype, Season, and Time‐of‐day on Nectar Production in Cotton 1
Author(s) -
Waller Gordon D.,
Wilson F. D.,
Martin Joseph H.
Publication year - 1981
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/cropsci1981.0011183x002100040007x
Subject(s) - nectar , biology , sugar , malvaceae , gossypium barbadense , cultivar , botany , fiber crop , petal , horticulture , gossypium , growing season , gossypium hirsutum , agronomy , pollen , biochemistry
Twenty‐five cultivars and breeding stocks of Gossypium hirsutum L. and two cultivars of G. barbadense L. were studied for rates of flowering and diurnal and seasonal patterns of floral nectar production. Nectar secretion began ca. 0800 hours and production increased linearly until the flowers closed at ca. 1700 hours. In mid‐season, G. hirsutum produced 25 µ 1 nectar/flower for at least 5 weeks. Neither nectar volume nor sugar concentration differed significantly among the 25 entries of G. hirsutum . When samples were collected between 1300 and 1700 hours, sugar concentrations were mostly ca. 20%. Flowers of G. barbadense produced about three times this amount of nectar with only slightly lower sugar concentrations. Honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) visits to both species of cotton were negligible, even though we provided nearly 10 colonies/ha during the flowering season.