Comparative study of contemporary mutagenic effect on lavender irradiated by ¹²C⁶⁺ ions electron beams

To determine the optimal mutagenic parameters to Lavendula, the biological effects on the development of dry seeds of two Lavendula varieties (701 and 702) were comparatively studied between 100 MeV ¹²C⁶⁺ ion and 1.2 MeV electron beam. The results showed that the germination percentage of 701 and 702 increased firstly and then decreased with the dose increased by using carbon ion irradiation. However, the germination percentage of 701 and 702 decreased with the increment of radiation dosage after being irradiated by electron beam. Furthermore, the results also showed that the germination percentage of Lavendula irradiated by electron beam was lower than that of carbon ion irradiation. In addition, the length of hypocotyl, embryonic root and fresh weight of seedlings of 701 and 702 irradiated by carbon ions were superior to those of electron beam irradiation. In brief, carbon ions are more suitable for the mutation breeding of Lavendula compared to electron beams, which would contribute to obtain more novel mutants in the future. (authors)