The effect of pre-sowing electron radiation on the development of barley seedlings and the activity of enzymes and phytohormones

Abstract

In a laboratory experiment, the effect of pre-sowing low-energy (160 keV) electron radiation at doses of 1, 3, and 5 kGy at a dose rate of 500 Gy/pulse was studied. on sowing qualities, morphometric parameters of barley seedlings of the Vladimir spring variety, their susceptibility to fungal diseases against a natural infectious background, as well as on the activity of enzymes and the concentration of phytohormones in 7-day-old seedlings. The repetition in the experiment was 3-fold, non-irradiated seeds served as control. Irradiation of seeds at a dose of 3 kGy caused a statistically significant increase in comparison with the control of laboratory germination (LV) by 6 % and seed growth force (SPC) by 10 %, and at a dose of 1 kGy, an increase in root length by 24.6 % and had no significant effect on morphometric parameters at a dose of 5 kGy. Seed treatment did not affect the green and dry weight of the seedlings and the percentage of water content in them. Irradiation completely suppressed the development of Penicillium spp. at doses of 1, 3 and 5 kGy, Fusarium spp. - at doses of 3 and 5 kGy and significantly increased the prevalence of Bipolaris sorokiniana seedlings by 2.1 times and its prevalence by 1.8 times at a dose of 5 kGy. Electron irradiation of barley seeds had no effect on the activity of enzymes and phytohormones, except for a significant increase in 7-day-old seedlings of the content of IAA at a dose of 5 kGy by 1.5 times and IBA at a dose of 1 kGy by 2.7 times compared with the control.