Seeds of three Okra local genotypes of Burkina Faso, UAE22, KBG535 and KBG24,
were irradiated with gamma rays at doses ranging from 200 to 3000 Gy using 60Co
sources at IBD-CETT, in Burkina Faso. Seeds germination was evaluated in
laboratory and then some were sown and plants maintained at two per pot. Traits
were measured from germination to fruits maturity. Germination rate below 50%
was observed at doses of 400 Gy and from 600 to 800 Gy for UAE22, and at 1600
Gy for KBG535. Up to 3000 Gy, seeds’ germination rate was still above 20%. The
survival rate at 60 DAS reached 0% at doses of 1400, 1600 and 2000 Gy
respectively for KBG535, KBG24 and UAE22. Also, at doses below 600 Gy, time to
budding and flowering was reduced for the 3 genotypes. UAE22 did not show any increase for fruit characteristics, except the number of fruits per plant from 200 to 800 Gy. KBG24 and KBG535 showed increases of fruit traits at some doses between 200 and 800 Gy. As for seeds traits, the dose of 200 Gy had an increasing effect for KBG535 and that of 400 Gy had the same effect for UAE22 and KBG24, except the weight of seeds per plant. All the traits studied showed significant variation depending on doses and also genotypes. Irradiation of okra seeds was therefore an appreciable source of induction of variation in quantitative traits.

Burkina Faso, Okra, quantitative traits