AVERAGE INDICATORS OF CERTAIN ECONOMIC TRAITS IN PLANTS OF S-8290 AND SULTON COTTON VARIETIES GROWN FROM SEEDS IRRADIATED WITH DIFFERENT DOSES OF GAMMA RAYS

This article examines the economic traits (1000 seed weight, fiber yield, fiber length) of cotton plants of varieties S-8290 and Sulton grown from seeds irradiated with different doses of gamma radiation (50, 100, 150, 200, 250 Gr). The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions. The results showed variation in traits depending on the radiation dose. In the S-8290 variety, at 100 Gr dose, fiber yield increased (up to 41.6%); at 250 Gr dose, 1000 seed weight (139.2 g) and fiber length (35.2 mm) increased compared to the control. In the Sulton variety, at 50 and 100 Gr doses, 1000 seed weight increased sharply (142.8 and 155.6 g, respectively), fiber yield decreased, and fiber length slightly increased. At high doses (150–250 Gr), no plants were obtained for some varieties. It was found that gamma radiation induces mutational variability, and positive shifts are observed in some traits.