Pollination and Plant Reproductive Success of Two Ploidy Levels in Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.)

Plant reproduction in red clover requires cross-fertilization via insect pollination. However, the influences of visitation rate and timing on maximizing ovule utilization are yet to be determined. We aimed study rate, flowering stage, self-incompatibility reproductive success. applied hand honey bee pollination eight cultivars with two ploidy levels released between 1964 2001. In pollination, increasing rates (from 10 80 pollinated florets per flower head) increased seed number head but reduced floret. Different stages (early, middle, full flowering) did not influence floret significantly. There was a marked difference success depending level, 0.52 seeds diploid 0.16 tetraploid cultivars. During cultivar release history, seemed decrease cultivars, whereas it tetraploids. had more two-seeded than stochastic nature pollen transfer resulted difficulties when plant compared. A maximum 0.27 were produced compared 0.34 spite this, provided valuable method for studying biology clover. Future studies may employ unravel further aspects low future perspective improving