Title : Effects of gamma rays irradiation on Eucalyptus clones
Abstract:
JK Paper Ltd. Unit: CPM, Fort: Songadh, India was earlier has put in pioneering efforts and working with the farming communities in Gujarat and Maharashtra states of India for meeting its raw material requirement by promoting short rotation pulpwood plantations on their farm lands. This has created a win-win relationship for farmers as well as industry by helping farmers realize value from their wastelands and helping industry meet its ever increasing demand for raw material on a sustainable basis.
JKPL had put in placed robust plantation R&D network for increasing wood productivity & pulping qualities through breeding, selection, Mutation, & other tree improvement initiatives with improved silvicultural practices for wood productivity & quality improvement like density, pulp yield, improved fibre morphology etc.
JKPL have studied effects of gamma rays irradiation with doses (0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.10) of radioactive cobalt (CO 60) gamma rays on 10 nos of high productive, site specific & disease resistant Eucalyptus clones, which were irradiate in Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. Progeny trials planted at JK Paper Ltd, Unit: CPM, Fort: Songadh, Gujarat, India. All higher doses irradiated plants (0.03, 0.05 and 0.10) were died after 3-4 month of plantings. Smaller doses shows faster growth (volume increment) over its control planted under statistical design of experiment.
DNA fingerprinting studies using different polymers were done for 2 clones with positive mutants at JK Agrigenetics Ltd, Biotechnology Lab, Hyderabad India shows variation in PCR with its control. The chemical analysis of wood (2 year age) also shows improvement in wood density & fiber % in mutant clones over its control due to mutagenesis.
