The effect of different gamma ray doses on plant characteristics in some potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars

This research was carried out in the experimental field of the Tekirda Vineyard Research Institute in 1997 and 1998. A randomised block design with split plot was used to determine the effect of different gamma ray doses on agronomic and morphological characteristics in the M1V1 and M1V2 generations of the potato cultivars 'Resy' and 'Yayla kizi'. Non-sprouting 50-60 g tubers were exposed to five different gamma ray doses (15, 25, 30, 60 and 120 Grey). This was done to assess the effect on plant characteristics, including emergence period, maturity period, plant height, tuber yield per plant and number of tubers per plant. Plants exposed to gamma radiation were then compared with control plants. In both generations 'Resy' with 15 Grey and 'Yayla kizi' with 25 Grey produced higher yields than the control plants. The lowest number of tubers was obtained from 'Yayla kizi' with 30 Grey.