Early field observations on the effect of gamma and ion beam irradiations on Chrysanthemum morifolium

Full text: Chrysanthemum is one of the main temperate cut flowers in Malaysian floriculture industry and also a good model for mutagenesis study in vegetatively propagated ornamental plants. Selection of desired mutants in vegetatively propagated plants must be made directly in the field especially for characteristics of plant morphology and flower colour. For chrysanthemum, greenhouse screenings need to be carried out to investigate the phenotypic changes of the plants after irradiation with physical mutagens. This paper discusses early effects of acute gamma and ion beam irradiations on the vegetative growth of in vitro irradiated chrysanthemum in both low and high lands. Data on the number of leaves, plant height and inter node length of the irradiated plants was recorded and statistically analysed. (author)