ATTRACTIVENESS OF PHASEOLUS L. FLOWERS FOR POLLINATING INSECTS

Investigations were carried out at the Agricultural University experimental station at Felin near Lublin in the years 1988–1989. The studies concerned three local populations of semi-runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv.
Igolomska.
The aim of investigations was to examine a flowering, degree of attractiveness of bean flowers for insects and influence of insect pollination on pod-bearing.

The flowering period lasted almost 2 month for semi-runner bean and about 3 weeks for common bean.
Single flower of semi-runner bean produces 1.2–4.1 mg of sugar, common bean 0.5–1.5 respectively.
The sugar concentration in nectar ranged from 24.6–37.5 %. Pollen productivity reached 0.33–0.77 mg per one flower.
Bean flowers were visited by pollinating insects, mainly honeybees.
The inflorescences isolated from pollinators set only 0–0.93 % of pods.

VI International Symposium on Pollination

A. Wróblewska

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1991.288.51