EFFECT OF 60 Co GAMMA RAYS IN TUBEROSE (Polianthes tuberosa L.)

The plants that are asexually reproduced like the tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), have little genetic variability; this can be induced by the mutagenesis technique. The objectives of this paper are: to induce variability by using 60 Co gamma radiation and, to establish the radiosensitivity curve in tubers and in vitro plants. At the National Institute for Nuclear Research (ININ by its Spanish acronym), tuberose's tubers were irradiated with seven doses of 60 Co gamma radiation (0 to 30 Gy) with 5 Gy intervals between treatments. Of irradiated tubers (with 2 to 21 side bulbs), the bulbs were extracted without mechanical damage and established in vitro in a Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium with 1 mg L -1 of benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 mg L -1