JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2020, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 11-18.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1000-2006.201909003

Special Issue: 球根花卉专题

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Effects of three radiation protection agents on the 60Co‑γ radiation irradiated freesia

MIN Kelian1(), WANG Dan1(), ZHAN Xiaodie1, CHEN Min1, YUE Haiyan1, HE Yi1, LIU Liang1, LI Qing2, XIANG Yi2, LI Jianwei2   

  1. 1.College of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
    2.Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu 610011, China
  • Received:2019-09-03 Revised:2019-11-13 Online:2020-05-30 Published:2020-06-11
  • Contact: WANG Dan E-mail:946898367@qq.com;wangdan@swust.edu.cn

Abstract: Objective

Bulbs of ornamental plants have considerable economic value; however, seed degeneration is a major concern in several bulbous flower varieties due to its adverse effects on reproduction. Radiation mutagenesis bree?ding can help increase variation frequencies, enlarge variation ranges, and induce morphology?associated mutations, which may produce novel varieties within short time. However, plant survival is severely reduced due to physiological and genetic damage caused by 60Co?γ radiation treatments, and the frequency of beneficial mutations is low and insufficient. We used salicylic acid (SA), melatonin (MT) and gibberellin (GA) in order to reduce radiation?induced damage and death rates and to increase survival and flowering rates in freesia bulbs after 60Co?γ radiation treatments. The results may provide important technical information and reference values for cultivation and improvement of flower varieties.

Method

Freesia (Freesia hybrida) bulbs were treated using 60Co?γ radiation at dosages of 55, 65 or 75 Gy after soaking treatments with SA at concentrations of 150, 300 or 450 mg/L and MT and GA at 5, 10 or 15 mg/L. Irradiated bulbs not treated with protective agents and bulbs treated with water only were used as controls. Effects of radiation protection on growth and development were assessed by measuring growth indicators and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Result

At a radiation dose of 55 Gy, germination and survival rates in freesia bulbs treated with 150 mg/L SA were 86.87% and 90.00%, respectively, and were significantly higher than those of the radiation control group; plant height of freesia was 144.63% larger than that of the radiation control, and the number of leaves and total leaf area were 5.96? and 1.78?fold higher, respectively, compared to the radiation control. Flowering rates showed a maximum at 33.33%. At a radiation dose of 65 Gy, the three tested agents produced protective effects in a dose?dependent manner. In the 450 mg/L SA treatment, the survival rate was 79.67%, which was 91.68% higher than that in the radiation control; the number of small flowers in plants treated with 15 mg/L MT was 187.77% higher than that in the radiation control. In the high?dose irradiation treatment (75 Gy), high concentrations of protective agents showed better effects than low concentrations. Survival rate, plant growth and flowering rate in freesia bulbs treated with 450 mg/L SA were 122.23%, 268.17% and 500.60% higher, respectively, compared to the radiation control, and the number of leaves and total leaf area were 2.22? and 2.57?fold higher, respectively, than in the radiation control. Treatments with 15 mg/L MT and GA produced higher numbers of small flowers in freesia bulbs irradiated at 65 and 75 Gy with 7.83 and 5.68 more flowers, respectively, compared to the radiation control. Moreover, radiation protectants at different concentrations can significantly reduce the levels of MDA in irradiated freesia plants and delay the increase in SOD membrane?protective enzyme activity after radiation, suggesting that radiation protection agents can effectively promote the repair of radiation damage and alleviate physiological damage.

Conclusion

Treatments with SA, MT and GA after irradiation can effectively mitigate radiation damage and may thus be important for radiation protection. Treatments with 150 mg/L SA and 15 mg/L MT showed better protective effects than that of other groups of protective agents after radiation at 55 Gy, whereas under radiation doses of 65 and 75 Gy, 450 mg/L SA, 15 mg/L MT and 15 mg/L GA showed most effective radiation protection.

Key words: freesia, 60Co?γ radiation, salicylic acid, melatonin, gibberellin, radiation protection

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