Mutagenic effects of wheat callus induced by ⁶⁰Co γ-ray irradiation

Background: Creation of new germplasm derived from wheat can accelerate the genetic breeding of wheat. Purpose: Samples of the callus from immature embryo were irradiated by ⁶⁰Co γ-ray to study their biological effects. Methods: The calluses were irradiated at the doses of 5 Gy, 10 Gy, 15 Gy, 20 Gy and 30 Gy (dose rate 10 Gy/min). And the physiological characters in M₂ generation were observed. Results: The results showed that the rates of callus differentiation decreased with the increasing of doses. Morphological variations including leaf, stalk, plant type, panicle type and various physiological characters were observed in the M₂ generation. Conclusion: The mutants were helpful for gene identification and gene functional analysis, and for breeding of new wheat variety as well. (authors)