| Effect of gamma-radiation on germination and survival
in some bread wheat varieties R. P. CHANDOLA Govt. Agriculture Research Farm, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India As an attempt to improve their characteristics by inducing mutations with radiation, six varieties from different parts of India were treated with gamma-rays at Cobalt-60 facility installed at the International Agriculture Fair held at New Delhi in 1959-60. Application of variable doses of gamma-rays to seeds of these varieties has lead the author to some interesting findings in the first generation of the treatments. These results mainly point out the behaviour of the treated seeds along with the controls encountered in germination and survival studies of varieties R. S. 31-1. R. S. 9-11, Malvi Ekdania (durum), Jaipur Local and Kharchia. The seeds were germinated in laboratory in petridishes lined with water soaked filter papers, and the observation was made on forth, sixth and eighth day after sowing. The data are given in the Table 1. Apparently there was a general decline in growth of radicle and plumule in the treatments and more so in the higher doses when compared to the controls. On the fourth day controls of various varieties showed difference in rate of growth of radicle and in the rate of growth of plumule, this rate being faster in Kharchia than in R. S. 9-11, R. S. 31-1 and Jaipur Local. Kharchia was showing the emergence of highest number of secondary roots (3-4) on this day in the 10,000r treatment. All the rest of the treatments were showing only two secondary roots each and the controls had a range of 2-4 such roots (Table 1). Highest number of secondary roots among the controls emerged also from Kharchia. Next in this respect was Malvi Ekdania (durum) having 2-3 secondary roots in the 30,000r treatment on this day. On the sixth day (Table 1) in the 10,000r treatment Malvi Ekdania and Kharchia showed the highest length of radicle and plumule and also highest length of secondary roots. In the 20,000r treatment Kharchia had the highest length of radicle and R. S. 31-1 and Malvi Ekdania were equal in this respect. Length of plumule was highest in Kharchia and Malvi Ekdania. In the 30,000r treatment highest length of radicle was shown by Jaipur Local and Malvi Ekdania and same holds good for plumule length also. In the controls the highest length of radicle was shown by Kharchia followed by R. S. 9-11 and R. S. 31-1 and in case of plumule Kharchia was leading followed by Jaipur Local ahd R. S. 9-11. Highest number of secondary roots were shown in 10,000r treatment by Jaipur Local and Malvi Ekdania and in 30,000r treatment by Jaipur Local and C. 591. On this day color of plumule, which had just emerged in these vatieties was also observed. It was revealed that Jaipur Local and R. S. 31-1 both had green plumules while R. S. 9-11, and Malvi Ekdania all had white plumules and Kharchia had pink one. This is just the same for controls also. |
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