On the growth and flowering of lathyrus odoratus L

2- EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION

ON THE GROWTH AND FLOWERING

OF LATHYRUS ODORATUS L.

A.L El-Ashiy¹, M.A. ZaghlonI² and E. Abo El-Ghait³

'Orman Garden Min. Agaric. ²Fac. of Agaric .

Suez Canal Uniy.³Fac. of Agric.

at Moshtohar Zagazig Univ.

ABSTRACT

Two experiments were carried out during 1988/89 and 1989/90 at the Ornamental Farm of the Faculty of Agric. at Moshtohor, Zagazig Univ. to study the effect of different doses of gamma irradiation on the growth, flowering and chemical composition of Lathyrus odoratus L. exposed to 0.00,100, 250, 750,1000,1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 10000, and 15000 rod just before planting. The following results were obtained:

The low gamma-radiation doses as 100-4000 rod increased plant height, branching, No. of nodes on the stem,No, of leaves plant, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of both vegetative growth and flowers. The influence extended to earliness of blooming, lengthening of the flowering period coincided with increased number of flowers /plant. While, the high doses up 5000 rad decreased the afore-mention characters.

Gamma irradiation doses, especially the low ones increased the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and carbohydrates in the leaves of Lathyrus odoratus.