Radiosensitivity of seeds. II. Effects of soaking, storage and gamma rays.

ABS>Barley grains received Co/sup 6/⁰ gamma rays after various periods of aerobic soaking and storage. Treatment combinations totaled 126 and were replicated four times. Effects were measured by germination and seedling height, 11 days from the start of treatment. Soaking without irradiation caused no significant injury unless prolonged for 24 hours. In the 10,000-r treatments, with 1 to 4 hours of soaking, sensitivity increased until 7 hours' preirradiation storage and decreased with longer storage periods. Similar changes of sensitivity occurred in the 2000-r treatments after longer periods of soaking and storage. The spectacular decline of sensitivity during storage in these instances was attributed to interruption of the rapid increase in metabolic rate as water became limiting. (auth)