Nectar Production and Three Main Sugars in Nectar of Salvia pratensis and Salvia glutinosa in Correlation with Abiotic Factors

Katja Malovrh, Blanka Ravnjak (), Jože Bavcon and Mitja Križman ()
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Katja Malovrh: University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ižanska 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Blanka Ravnjak: University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ižanska 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jože Bavcon: University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ižanska 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Mitja Križman: Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, P.O. Box 660, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: Floral nectar is mainly a reward in the form of food for pollinators. Its composition plays an important role when pollinators choose their food. Several studies have shown that the popularity of flowers with nectar is influenced by the concentration and ratio of sugars. Here, we present the nectar chemical composition with regard to three main sugars and their concentrations in correlation with abiotic factors for the plant species Salvia pratensis L. and Salvia glutinosa L. through their 2023 flowering season. We sampled nectar using microcapillaries at three different times during the day on sites in nature. Our results show that nectar production in both species is the highest at around 12 a.m. The abiotic factor that affects nectar production in both species is the soil temperature, while UVB radiation does not influence nectar production. Air temperature and air humidity affect the nectar production of S. glutinosa , while soil humidity affects nectar production in S. pratensis . The most represented sugar in S. glutinosa nectar is sucrose, while S. pratensis nectar has more glucose and fructose. Our results show that UVB radiation has an effect on the sucrose level, although it does not have any direct effect on nectar productivity.

Keywords: abiotic factors; nectar production; nectar composition; sugars; Salvia glutinosa; Salvia pratensis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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