Effect of gamma-irradiation on the biophysical and morphological properties of corn.

The effects of gamma-irradiation on the biophysical and morphological properties of corn plants were investigated. The irradiation doses were 0, 1, 1.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 krad. Corn grains exposed to 1.5 and 2.5 krad showed highly significant changes in all growth parameters. Fluorescence and light absorption spectra of chlorophyll attributed to different doses treatments of corn grains clearly confirmed the superiority of 1.5 krad irradiation dose in stimulating corn plants. Furthermore, the frequency dependence of the relative permittivity and the electric conductivity of the treated samples have been performed and discussed. The obtained results give another support via the biophysical properties for the 1.5 krad irradiation dose to be the most favorable one to improve the plant growth characteristics.