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Bandana Bandyopadhyay , A. K. Nandy , R. Mallick , A. Chatterjee

Abstract

A trial was conducted to study a comparative effect of Gamma-radiation on the growth behaviour vis-a-vis biomass yield of Acacia nilotica Delite, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Wit and Prosopis chilensis D.C (sub-family Mimosoidae). Dry seeds were exposed to 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 KR doses of Gamma-radiation. Irradiated seeds were sown in the field along with the control. In case of L. leucocephala the growth of the plants as well as total biomass production increased steadily with increasing doses of irradiation upto 8 KR. In A. nilotica the response was similar to that of L leucocephala, but in this case maximum growth and biomass yield was obtained after 4 KR. On the other hand, P. chilensis did not exhibit a positive response to Gamma-radiation. Karyotype of the three species was also done. All these observations indicate the greater possibility of the utilization of Gamma-radiation in increasing biomass production.

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Bandana Bandyopadhyay , R. Mallick , A. K. Chatterjee

Abstract

A trial was conducted to study the effect of Gamma-irradiation on the growth behaviour vis-a-vis biomass yield of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit (Subfamily Mimosoidae) one of the very fast growing trees of the tropical forests. Dry seeds were exposed to l, 2. 4, 8 and 10 kR doses of Gamma-irradiatlon. Irradiated seeds were sown in the field along with the control. Germination frequency was noted to be highest in case of kR irradiated seeds. Growth data of the plants were recorded at every one month interval. It was observed that the vegetative growth of most of the irradiated plants was strikingly vigorous in comparison to the control. Total biomass yield of the plants after one year of growth was measured which revealed a significant difference between the irradiated and non-irradiated populations. The photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic biomass ratios were worked out. Possible implication of the findings will be discussed in the paper.

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