EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION, ETHYLEMETHANE SULPHONATE AND THEIR COMBINATIONS ON PERFORMANCE OF PEA (Pisum sativum L.)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Horticulture Dept., Fac. Agric., Kafr EI-Sheikh, Tanta Univ.

2 Vegetable and Floriculture Dept., Fac. Agric., Mansoura Univ.

Abstract

Seeds of three cultivars of pea Pisum sativum L. were irradiated with different
doses of gammar-rays (2.5, 5, 10, 15,20,25 and 30 KR). Other portions the some of
seeds were treated with different levels of EMS (0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 %). The combined
treatments of both mutagens were made. Generally, it was found that, higher doses of
both mutagens decreased plant height when compared with entreated plants as well as
other doses. In both seasons, the effect of the different treatments on the number of
branches per plant were significant or highly significant in the three studied cultivars.
The low doses of gamma-rays decreased the number of days from sowing till
germination, while higher doses (25 and 30 KR) increased days to germination.
However, EMS did not affect the number of days from sowing to germination in both
seasons in the studied culitvars. The high doses of gamma-rays Significantly reduce
when pollen grains viability in the three studied cultivars in both seasons compared with
the control and other doses of both mutagens. Seed yield/plant, number of pods/plant
and number of seeds/pod were reduced consistently with the increase the combined
treatments of both mutagens as the levels are increased.