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Length of tongue in a honey bee in relation to the pollination of red clover

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. P. Hawkins
R. P. Hawkins
Affiliation:
National Instituteof Agricultural Botany, Cambridge
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Summary

Red clover florets are generally longer than a honey bee's tongue. Original data are submitted showing that honey bees can reach to a depth of 7 mm into the corolla tube of a red clover floret. The importance of this figure is discussed in relation to breeding bees with longer tongues and the breeding of red clover with shorter corolla tubes. Breeding a variety of red clover with more nectar so that honey bees can reach it is considered to be the best solution and would produce an increase in yield of both seed and honey.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 73 , Issue 3 , December 1969 , pp. 489 - 493
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

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References

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