Plant preference of honeybees in white-flowered alfalfa

White-flowered alfalfa plants vary widely in attractiveness to honeybees, according to this study under open pollination conditions at University of California, Davis. Several instances of plant preference were noted, but in general, plants having the most bee activity showed the greatest amount of cross pollination. When a strain of honeybees is developed with a distinct preference for alfalfa, it would appear to be advantageous to have parental lines equal in as many of the attractiveness characteristics as possible, to insure increased alfalfa seed production.