Abstract:
Irradiation has found its way into various applications in agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals and in other technological developments. Recent research has shown the potential application of low doses of radiation for microbial decontamination. The ecological effects of high doses of ionizing radiation as pollutants have been a thing of concern to man. However, it is beneficial when applied in low doses. Gamma radiation affects seed germination, growth, physiological parameters, reactive oxygen species and DNA integrity. The effects of ?-irradiations on plants have been influenced by several factors such as species, stage of development, genome organization and quality, dose, duration of exposure of radiation. Irradiation has been applied to mutation and molecular breeding, which make use of gamma rays to breed plants with desired trait. In this review, the effect of ?-irradiations on plants, focusing on metabolic alterations, modifications of growth and development, and changes in biochemical and physiological pathways are discussed.
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