The stimulation of plant growth by ionizing radiation

Abstract

The stimulation of plant growth by exposing seeds or growing plants to low doses of ionizing radiation, or by the use of radioactive fertilizers, has been reported by many investigators during the past 65 years. There is critical evidence that ionizing radiation may stimulate plant growth at certain stages of development and may induce earlier flowering. It can also stimulate lateral bud development, presumably by auxin inactivation. These stimulating effects are usually of small magnitude and are often not reproducible, although in individual tests the differences may be statistically significant. The evidence for increased yields of crop plants is less conclusive. Large increases in yields of crop plants by irradiating seed, soaking seed in radioactive solutions, or by the use of radioactive fertilizers have been reported from the U.S.S.R. Similar tests in the U.S. have given only negative results.