A review of physical aspects of gamma irradiation and its effects on plant growth

In recent years, many researchers in botany or agriculture research have published several scientific papers concerning the treatment of seeds and grains using gamma irradiation techniques to induce improved varieties. However, many recent studies have been conducted without the collaboration of radiation physicists, leading to a critical oversight of fundamental physical parameters related to dosimetry and natural shielding effect of irradiated seeds and grains. In the present review, a comparative study on the effect of gamma irradiation on different plant growth parameters for various types of plants will be introduced. Additionally, the importance of two physical parameters related to radiation physics, dose rate and the natural bio-shielding of seed/grain, will be discussed.