Germination Rates and Some Growth Parameters of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Irradiated with X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and UV-Light

The needs for increasing productivity and decreasing expenses had been the reasons for proposing using irradiation techniques in crop production. This study aimed to evaluate the germination rates and some growth parameters of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) irradiated with X - ray, Gamma - ray and UV - light. The experiment was conducted during 2020, in the experimental farm, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Gezira, Sudan. Certain variety of sesame seeds were brought from Agricultural Research Corporation, Wad Medani, Gezira State, Sudan. The sesame seeds were submitted separately to two treatments of X - ray (33.4 (LX) and 200.2 sec (HX), gamma ray (200 (LG) and 800 cGy (HG)) and UV - light (for 30 sec. (UV)). in addition to control, all irradiated sesame seeds were grown at the same agricultural conditions. The germination rate (%) and some growth parameters (plant weight, height, diameter, No. of leaves, tall and width of leaves) were recorded each 10 days till 60 days. The results of this study revealed that, the germination rates ranged between (74 - 94%), while the daily constant increase of growth ranged between (0.49 cm in C and LX to 0.17 cm in HX) in plant height; (0.07 g in LX - 0.01 g in HX) in plant weight; (0.23 in UV to 0.20 in LG and HX) in No. of leaves, (0.02 cm in C, UV, HG and LX to 0.01 cm in HX and LG) in stem diameters, (0.11 cm in C to 0.05 cm in HX and LG) in leaves tall, and (0.02 cm in HX, LG and UV to 0.04 cm in LX) in leaves width. LX treatments showed heavier and taller plant with large and wide leaves, in comparison to other treatments. Proximate and sensory tests should be conducted in order to evaluate the effect of these radiations on their nutritional contents and human allergic ability.