The present study was carried out to see the effect of gamma irradiation on the flowering performance of different tuberose varieties. This experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with 3 replications. Four cultivars, namely Calcutta single (V1), Hyderabad single (V2), Prajwal (V3) and Shringar (V4) were treated with various gamma irradiation doses, 0.75 kilorad (kR) (G2), 1.50 kR (G3), 2.25 kR (G4) and 3.00 kR (G5) along with a control (untreated). The study revealed that the varieties showed significant differences with respect to flowering and flower quality parameters. Among the tuberose varieties studied, V2 showed the best performance with respect to spike emergence, length of spikes, days taken to opening of first floret, number of florets per spike, diameter of floret and length of floret. However, V1 shows poor performance with respect to spike emergence, spike girth, days taken to opening of first florets, number of florets and length of floret. Among the gamma-ray doses, G₂ (0.75 kR) treatment produced the earliest spike emergence (101.57 days). While G₄ (2.25 kR) took maximum days for spike emergence (158.25 days) and first floret opening (183.80 days). Among the interaction earliest spike emergence (75.80 days) was observed in V1 at 2.25 kR and V4 produce maximum number of spikes (2.53) at control group. The overall mutation frequency was observed to be 2.67 %. A total of 16 mutants (5 in Calcutta single, 3 in V2, 3 in V3 and 5 in V4) were observed at 0.75–2.25 kR irradiation doses. A higher dose of gamma irradiation (3.0 kR) showed the lethal effect and not a single plant survived in the experiment at 50 days after planting.
Ajay et al. (Tue,) studied this question.