Effect of Gamma Irradiation Doses on Morphological and Biochemical Attributes of Grape Saplings

Abstract

The demand of grape in Bangladesh is fulfilled through import from foreign countries. The fruits of local cultivars of grapes are sour and seeded. Development of seedless grape varieties having increased sweetness, higher yield with better nutritional quality is necessary to reduce the import dependency. The present research activities are the part of a grape improvement project. A pot experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh, during June to November 2011 to determine the suitable gamma irradiation doses on growth, leaf area and biochemical characters of grape saplings. Three vegetative bud stages viz. bud initiation stage, 4-leaf stage and 8-leaf stage, and four doses of gamma irradiation viz. 0, 5, 10, and 15 Gy were used as treatments. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Different irradiation doses and vegetative bud stages showed significant variations in respect of plant growth characters, leaf area, soluble protein and total sugar content. Interaction effects also had significant variations on most of the parameters studied. Higher doses of gamma irradiation had showed detrimental effect on grape saplings. Generally, increased in irradiation doses showed decreased and detrimental effects on most of the parameters under study. Maximum numbers and length of roots, total dry matter, leaf area and chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b content were found at 5 Gy irradiation dose. Total soluble protein and sugar content of leaf were found maximum at no irradiation and 15 Gy, respectively. Higher number of roots and length, total dry matter, leaf area, chlorophyll-a, and b and soluble protein content of leaf were observed at bud initiation stage while 8-leaf stage showed maximum total sugar of leaf. In the combined effect of gamma irradiation and vegetative bud stages, all parameters showed best results in 5 Gy with bud initiation stage except total sugar content of leaf.