Pollination and fertilization in commercial crops of field beans (Vicia faba L.)

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Incidences of pollination and fertilization were surveyed in 21 commercial crops of field beans (16 of winter, 5 of spring) in southern Cambridgeshire (England) in 1982 and 1983. During the first part of the flowering season of winter beans, from 30 to 75% of flowers were not pollinated, and thus could not set pods. Where the pollination was largely spontaneous, relatively few pollinated flowers were fertilized and within them, relatively few ovules were fertilized. Later in the season and through most of the spring-bean flowering season, over 90% of flowers were pollinated and over 75% of ovules were fertilized. Incidences of pollination and fertilization varied greatly among the fields, and provision of hives of honeybees in fields of winter beans was associated with an improvement in the incidence of pollination from poor to moderate in 1983 but not in 1982. It is concluded that the incidence of pollination in many fields of winter beans is too low early in the season for an optimum distribution of yield along the stems.