Study on Dormancy in Gladiolus

摘要

An attempt was made to break the dormancy of the corms and cormels of Gladiolus var. 'Scarlet' by conventional treatments such as temperature, chemical and hormonal and an unconventional treatment like ionizing radiation. The radiation treatment included the presowing irradiation of corms and cormels with different doses of exp 60 Co-gamma rays. Lower doses (500 to 2000 R) proved stimulatory for sprouting only when the corms had undergone some post-irradiation storage. Sprouting of cormels was stimulated by 1 KR and inhibited gradually by higher doses. The effect of 1 KR and 10 KR on various physiological parameters such as respiration, changes in starch, sugars and amylase activity was studied during the post-irradiation storage of the cormels in the moist sand. In general, while the irradiation by 1 KR resulted in an increase in oxygen uptake, 10 KR dose decreased it. Total amylase activity was inhibited by irradiation at both the doses. This inhibitory effect was over by two weeks in 1 KR-irradiated lot and 4 weeks in 10 KR-irradiated lot. Slight stimulation in the activity of alpha amylase and of total amylase was observed at later stages in 1 KR-irradiated lot. Beta amylase activity was inhibited by irradiation at both the doses. Changes in starch content of irradiated lots showed both increase and decrease at times. Changes in total sugars content in treated lots followed a pattern as in control, except that the magnitude of the changes differed. The pattern of changes in reducing and non-reducing sugars was almost similar qualitatively in irradiated and control cormels. Thus, radiation induced promotion and inhibition of sprouting could be generally and respectively attributed to improved and lowered availability of simpler carbohydrates for developing roots and shoots. (Atomindex citation 12:605027)