Pollination Requirements of Cicer Milkvetch, Astragalus cicer L.

Abstract

The effect of bee pollination on seed yield of cicer milkvetch, Astragalus cicer L., has not been reported previously for Alberta. The effect of insect pollination was determined by comparing seed yields of open-pollinated and pollinator-excluded plants. It was determined that cicer milk vetch must be cross-pollinated for optimum seed yield, although 1.8% of the flowers from pollinator-excluded plant produced pods and seeds. Flowers pollinated within the first 4 days after opening produced more seeds per pod than did flowers pollinated after the fourth day. The actual seed yields with open pollination at 2 locations were only 25.3 and 11.7% of the mean potential seed yields.