Impact of gamma radiation on the agronomic properties of naked barley genotypes

Abstract

The usage of naked barley in the food industry is increasing day by day due to its health benefits. As a result, research on breeding naked barley have gained popularity. In these breeding studies, a wide variation in desired traits is needed to achieve higher success in selection. One of the best methods for obtaining genotypic variation, which is crucial for breeding studies on naked barley, is mutation. To obtain genotypic variation in certain agronomic parameters in naked barley genotypes, the impact of different gamma radiation doses on M1 and M2 plants of two naked barley genotypes was evaluated in this research. The seeds were treated with gamma irradiation using Cobalt 60 gamma source at six different doses, along with non-irradiated control samples. While the values at low doses were found to be comparable to the control in the majority of the traits, 250-300 Gy caused significant decreases in the majority of the traits in the M1 generation of both genotypes. Plant height, number of spikelets per spike, and number of grains per spike at the M2 generation were all negatively impacted by 250–300 Gy, although spike length, grain weight per spike, and thousand grain weight were positively impacted by the same doses. The mutant population generated by gamma irradiation of seeds of different naked barley genotypes was found to have suitable variation for the selection of desired traits. In addition, this material can be used to select individuals with outstanding agronomic characteristics.