Responses of <i>Lupinus albus</i> L. to Gamma Radiation Priming

Seed priming is a seed treatment approach performed before sowing that has garnered considerable interest recently because of its ability to enhance seed germination and initial seedling growth. Gamma radiation pretreatment is one of the priming methods widely used by researchers for various purposes in many different plant species. However, studies on the response of Lupinus albus L. (white or field lupine) to gamma radiation have been limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma radiation priming on germination and initial vegetative growth of L. albus . For this aim, L. albus seeds were irradiated with a cesium‐137 (137 Cs) gamma radiation source (820 Gy/h) at doses of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 Gy (gray). Germination and initial seedling growth parameters were examined in M1 plants (first plants/seedlings grown from irradiated seeds). The responses of germination and initial seedling growth attributes to gamma radiation were different, especially in a dose‐dependent manner. The results indicated that the germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index, and seedling vigor index (SVI) varied between 90.0% and 100.0%, 1.73 and 1.62 days, 5.68% and 7.55%, and 1842 and 2383, respectively. Compared to the control treatments, the highest increases were observed in shoot length (14.41%), shoot fresh weight (9.14%), shoot dry weight (10.18%), shoot dry matter (9.82%), and shoot water content (1.43%) in 75, 75, 200, 200, and 75 Gy treatments, respectively. On the other hand, compared to the control treatments, the highest decreases were observed in root length (20.61%) and root fresh weight (26.97%) in 50 Gy treatments. Although there was a 6.25% increase in root dry weight in the 200 Gy treatment, this increase was not statistically significant compared to the control group. The highest increase in root dry matter (RDM) and decrease in root water content (RWC) occurred in the 50 Gy treatment with 20.11% and 1.48%, respectively. The highest increase in RDM and decrease in RCW occurred in the 50 Gy treatment with 20.11% and 1.48%, respectively, compared to the control group. The research results showed that the applied radiation doses caused an increase in germination and SVI. However, it encouraged shoot growth in seedling growth while limited root growth. Gamma irradiation priming (75 Gy) may be used to enhance germination and initial vegetative growth of L. albus at the M1 generation.