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Title: RADIOSENSITIVITY OF SEEDS. III. EFFECTS OF PRE-IRRADIATION HUMIDITY AND GAMMA-RAY DOSE ON SEEDS FROM FIVE BOTANICAL FAMILIES

Journal Article · · Radiation Botany

Seeds of Brassica napus L. (Cruciferae), Festuca elatior L. (Gramineae), Lactuca sativa L. (Compositae), Lycopersicon escuientum Mill. (Solanaceae), and Trifolium incarnatum L. var. elatius Gibelli & Belli (Leguminosae) were equilibrated at relative humidities of 10, 35, 60, and 85 per cent then exposed to gamma-ray doses of 0, 10, 20, for 14 to 16 days in a controlled environment and assayed for dry weight. Data were analyzed by a full-quadratic regression model. Except for Festuca, growth from irradiated and control seeds was drastically affected by preirradiation humidity, with higher humidities generally more damaging than iower but with growth decreasing both above and below an optimum humidity. Optimum humidity varied with species, ranging from 9 to 38 per cent R. H. in the controls, and with radiation treatment, ranging from 42 to 53 per cent R. H. at the highest doses tolerated. The hypothesis of persisting radiation-induced radicals at lower humidities does not explain the similar increase in radiosensitivity at humidities above the optimum. (auth)

Research Organization:
UT-AEC Agricultural Research Lab., Tenn.
NSA Number:
NSA-17-023143
OSTI ID:
4712620
Journal Information:
Radiation Botany, Vol. Vol: 3; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English