Autofertility and Bee Visitation in Winter and Spring Genotypes of Faba Beans (Vicia faba L.)

Differences in the expression of autofertility and in the evidence of attractiveness to bees were investigated in both autumn-sown and spring-sown faba beans. All six winter stocks and one spring stock expressed very little autofertility, with averages of only 10% of flowers and 7% of ovules fertilized when undisturbed. Three other spring stocks, including a closed-flower population, were moderately autofertile, with 22% of flowers and 17% of ovules fertilized when undisturbed. The remaining two spring stocks, both English cultivars, expressed good autofertility, with 50% of undisturbed flowers and 44% of ovules fertilized. Current levels of autofertility in the winter and closed-flower stocks were inadequate to allow the development of a desirable distribution of pods without substantial bee visitation. If levels of autofertility could be raised simply by selection within populations, then they should have been much higher in these stocks. Therefore, autofertile parents will probably have to be included in programmes for breeding cultivars with improved levels of auto fertility. The closed-flower population received significantly less bee visitation than the other stocks in the spring trial. No variation in attractiveness to bees was found among the open-flowered spring stocks, nor among the winter stocks.