Agronomy and Horticulture Department
Date of this Version
1956
Abstract
The work of Schmidt and Frolik (1951) and of Beard (1955) has shown that plants of corn (Zea mays L.) grown from seeds treated with appropriate doses of X-rays or thermal neutrons are greatly reduced in stature and survival in comparison with control plants, and that pronounced increases in chromosomal abnormalities and pollen sterility also result from seed irradiation. It is reasonable to suspect that these morphological and cytological effects might be associated with changes in the metabolism of the plant. Accordingly, a series of experiments has been conducted in which preparations of normal corn seedlings and preparations of dwarfed seedlings grown from irradiated seeds have been compared with respect to several enzyme activities. Measurements have also been made using seedlings which were stunted by the effects of seed treatment with maleic hydrazide, and other seedlings which were stunted by subjection to lowered temperature during growth.
Comments
Published in PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, VOL. 9 (1956), pp. 356-362. Published by the Scandanavian Society for Plant Physiology.