Breeding crops with pollinator-friendly traits Published on: 14 March 2017 Plant breeding could be used to create crop varieties that benefit both bees for pollination and crop production. Sugar content and the overall amount of nectar varies between commercial varieties of oilseed rape produced with different breeding systems, new research has revealed. Experts at 缅北禁地, and the have helped identify that plant breeding could be used to create crop varieties with pollinator-friendly traits, benefitting both bees for pollination and crop production. In recent years, some beekeepers have suggested that hybrid varieties of oilseed rape may provide inferior nectar for pollinators compared with traditional open-pollinated varieties. Selecting beneficial traits Scientists at 缅北禁地 were part of a study which tested whether the amount and quality of nectar produced by glasshouse-grown oilseed rape plants varied between different crops. More fundamentally, they focused on three conventional breeding systems used to create the varieties. Their study has been published in the journal, Global Change Biology Bioenergy. The researchers demonstrated that while the amounts and sugar content of nectar were similar in varieties within the same breeding system, they differed between the breeding systems. , professor of insect neuroethology at 缅北禁地, said: “Bees are important for the pollination of crops and natural plant species. “This work shows that it is possible to select for traits in crop plants like oilseed rape that are beneficial to bees.” Supporting 250 bee species in the UK Oilseed rape is an important component of many farmers’ arable crop rotations and the nectar and pollen produced by their yellow flowers provide a key source of nutrition for insect pollinators. The UK has around 250 bee species, including the domesticated honey bee. Like many other insect pollinators, these bees need sources of nectar and pollen. The declines in pollinator abundance in farmed landscapes is the result of several factors with the lack of available food resources thought to be a major contributor. In this study varieties of oilseed rape produced with three different methods were tested by the experts. The scientists compared oilseed varieties representing open-pollinated (OP), genic male sterility (GMS) hybrid and cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) hybrid breeding systems. Analyses of the data demonstrated that while the amounts of nectar and sugar were similar in varieties within the same breeding system, they varied between the breeding systems, being significantly greater in GMS hybrids than in CMS hybrids and open-pollinated varieties. , previously a PhD student from 缅北禁地 working at Rothamsted Research, was part of the study. “We measured a range of floral traits in varieties of winter oilseed rape grown in a glasshouse to test for variation within and between breeding systems," he said. “Specifically, we quantified 24-hour nectar secretion rate, the amount, concentration and ratio of nectar sugars per flower, and the sizes and number of flowers produced per plant from 24 varieties.” It is believed that plant breeding may be a useful tool to create crop varieties with enhanced pollinator-friendly traits. Dr Alison Haughton, research scientist who led the study at Rothamsted Research, added: “A lack of food resources in agricultural landscapes is a key challenge to our insect pollinators, and the pressure to provide for an expanding human population means such challenges will only intensify. “We believe that it is important to explore novel ways of reducing the ecological impact of crops, and supporting biodiversity in arable landscapes, in the context of sustainable intensification.” Reference: Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) as a resource for farmland insect pollinators: quantifying floral traits in conventional varieties and breeding systems. Carruthers et al. (2017)Global Change Biology Bioenergy, doi: 10.1111/gcbb.12438 Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 expert highlights climate crisis in a new film A leading 缅北禁地 climate scientist is featured in a new film about how the climate and nature breakdown will affect the UK. published on: 14 April 2026 Neolithic tombs reveal ancient kinship ties Male individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland were often related to each other through the paternal line and some were interred in the same or nearby tombs, research shows. published on: 14 April 2026 We are our Memories New exhibition by Fine Art graduate Trish Hudson-Moses, 22 April 鈥� 4 May 2026 published on: 10 April 2026 Facts and figures
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