Soto Veronica C, Caselles Cristian A, Silva Maria F, Galmarini Claudio R
IBAM, UNCuyo, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Almirante Brown, Chacras de Coria, Mendoza, Argentina.
Monsanto Argentina SRL, Ángel Mosconi, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
J Econ Entomol. 2018 May 28;111(3):1023-1029. doi: 10.1093/jee/toy081.
Onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the main vegetable crops. Pollinators are required for onion seed production, being honeybees the most used. Around the world, two types of onion varieties are grown: open pollinated (OP) and hybrids. Hybrids offer numerous advantages to growers, but usually have lower seed yields than OP cultivars, which in many cases compromise the success of new hybrids. As pollination is critical for seed set, understanding the role of floral rewards and attractants to pollinator species is the key to improve crop seed yield. In this study, the correlation of nectar-analyzed compounds, floral traits, and seed yield under open field conditions in two experimental sites was determined. Nectar composition was described through the analysis of sugars, phenol, and alkaloid compounds. Length and width of the style and tepals of the flowers were measured to describe floral traits. Floral and nectar traits showed differences among the studied lines. For nectar traits, we found a significant influence of the environment where plants were cultivated. Nonetheless, flower traits were not influenced by the experimental sites. The OP and the male-sterile lines (MSLs) showed differences in nectar chemical composition and floral traits. In addition, there were differences between and within MSLs, some of which were correlated with seed yield, bringing the opportunity to select the most productive MSL, using simple determinations of morphological characters like the length of the style or tepals size.
洋葱（Allium cepa L.）是主要的蔬菜作物之一。洋葱种子生产需要传粉者，其中蜜蜂是最常用的传粉者。在世界各地，种植两种类型的洋葱品种：开放授粉（OP）品种和杂交品种。杂交品种为种植者带来诸多优势，但通常种子产量低于OP品种，这在许多情况下会影响新杂交品种的成功。由于授粉对结实至关重要，了解花蜜奖励和吸引物对传粉者物种的作用是提高作物种子产量的关键。在本研究中，测定了两个试验地点田间条件下花蜜分析化合物、花部性状与种子产量之间的相关性。通过对糖、酚和生物碱化合物的分析来描述花蜜成分。测量花朵花柱和花被片的长度和宽度以描述花部性状。在研究的品系中，花部和花蜜性状存在差异。对于花蜜性状，我们发现植物种植环境有显著影响。然而，花部性状不受试验地点的影响。OP品系和雄性不育系（MSL）在花蜜化学成分和花部性状上存在差异。此外，MSL之间和内部也存在差异，其中一些与种子产量相关，这为通过简单测定花柱长度或花被片大小等形态特征来选择最高产的MSL提供了机会。
