Abstract
A laboratory-based experiment was conducted to see the effect of different doses of gamma radiation on maize seeds. Zea maize L. seeds were collected from the Grain Storage of the new Developmental Farm, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan. Those seeds were taken to the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peshawar to expose the seeds to different doses of gamma radiations i.e. 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 KGys. The effects of different doses of gamma radiations on different genetic parameters were observed and for this purpose, those seeds were set for germination in the Laboratory of Weed Science (Botany), The University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Germination percentage was decreased under all the radiation doses applied and ranged between 51.75% and 86%. Highest doses of radiation i.e. Lowest germination percentage was recorded in the highest dose of radiation 1.4 kGy treatment (51.75%), which is significantly different from the control and 0.8, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 kGy treatments. Similarly, all other parameters such as root length, shoot length, fresh weight of root, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of root, dry weight of shoot were significantly decreased with the gradual increase of radiation doses. Due to some constraints, we could not continue this experiment in the field. However, the conclusions are that gamma radiations showed the mutation effect on seeds of maize. This could possibly be used for the release of the new variety, which could be a variety with short stature and drought resistant.