Prof. Hassan Hamza Abbas Ramdan :: Publications:

A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas- Egypt to investigate the effects of radiating canola seeds with γ-ray at three doses i.e. 100, 200 and 300Gy vs the non-irradiated-control on plant growth-performance and yield-productivity. Nitrogen-fertilization and source of irrigation water were also a matter of concern in this study. All experimental plots received the recommended dose of N-fertilizers in either of the following forms: 100% mineral-N, 100%organic-N or 50%mineral-N+50% organic-N. Also, a drip irrigation-system was constructed to irrigate canola plants with either fresh-water or treated-wastewater. Irradiation, in general, resulted in higher values of canola-dry-weights which were enhanced by increasing gamma-ray dose up to 300Gy. Similarly, NPK-contents within different plant parts of the irradiated-canola increased in an order coincide with the magnitudes of the used irradiation dose i.e. 300> 200>100>0Gy. Moreover, oil-yield was significantly increased with increasing gamma-dose. On the other hand, the enhancement of NPK-uptake was more vigorous in case of combined-fertilization-treatment (50% mineral-N+50% organic-N) than either application of 100%mineral-N or 100%organic-N. This consequently raised significantly root and shoot-dry-weights as well as seed-yield and canola oil-productivity. It seems that irrigation with treated wastewater resulted in higher increases in NPK-uptake as well as canola oil-yield than irrigation with fresh-water. Thus, it can be deduced that the combined-fertilization-treatment and high irradiation dose of gamma-ray had achieved the highest increases in plant-DW and productivity, at the same time these values were higher under irrigation with treated wastewater than those irrigated with fresh-water.