ISHS Acta Horticulturae 83: Symposium on Seed Problems in Horticulture
SEED PRODUCTION OF F1 HYBRID BRUSSELS SPROUTS |
| Author: | G.J. Faulkner |
| Abstract:
Seed of most F1 hybrid Brussels sprouts cultivars contains "sibs" (seed derived from self- or sib-pollination). Such plants are undesirable and lack vigour. A major factor in sib incidence is the behaviour of the main pollinating insects, honeybees (Apis mellifera) and blowflies (Calliphora vicina); the former pollinate selectively and the latter at random. A comparison has been made of the influence of these insects on sib incidence and seed yield in separate units in a glasshouse, in polythene tunnels and in field cages, and in an open field plot with natural pollination. Compared with bees, flies drastically reduced the percentage sibs under glass and polythene and to a lesser extent under cages; fly-pollinated plants under polythene tunnels gave the lowest percentage sibs. Plants under polythene and glass gave similar seed yields and considerably better yields than plants under cages and in the open field plot. | |
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