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SUMMARY:Improving pollination in the field bean Vicia faba - Emily Bailes
DTSTART:20130517T110000Z
DTEND:20130517T113000Z
UID:TALK44292@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:Legume species\, such as the field bean (Vicia faba)\, are hig
 hly important crops due to their high protein content\, and are used parti
 cularly as food crops in developing countries and as animal feed in Europe
 . However\, in recent years\, yields from field to field of V. faba have b
 ecome more variable\, which has been linked to a corresponding decline in 
 its bee-pollinators. Despite insect pollination being required to achieve 
 maximum yield\, the floral traits of V. faba have not yet been the target 
 of breeding programmes. \n\nThis talk will introduce the pollination biolo
 gy of V. faba and describe my plans to investigate how variation in the fl
 oral traits of this crop affects pollinator preference. Few studies have a
 ttempted to investigate the effect of floral variation on pollinator prefe
 rence in V. faba\, and none comprehensively. Therefore I have begun by cat
 aloguing the existing variation in inbred V. faba lines. The effect of var
 iable traits such as flower colour\, floral architecture\, texture\, rewar
 d and volatiles will then be examined using laboratory colonies of Bombus 
 spp. The effect of promising traits on pollination will be explored in fie
 ld trails\, and the molecular basis of these traits identified.\n
LOCATION:Biffen Lecture Theater\, Department of Genetics
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