RADIOISOTOPES

The nutrient immobilized hydrogel was prepared by γ-irradiation of carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyacrylamide (PAM) supplemented with nutrient and oligoalginate. The gel fraction of prepared hydrogel was increased with increase of irradiation dose, while the swelling degree was decreased. The hydrogel prepared with 20% CMC, 20% PAM, 1% oligoalginate and nutrient at 15 kGy irradiation was the best for the growth of plant. The oligoalginate immobilized hydrogel promoted the germination of seeds and growth of seedling plants. In hydroponic cultivation, the growth and development of plants on oligoalginate immobilized hydrogel were much better than that of plants growing on coir dust. The nutrient and oligoalginate immobilized hydrogel showed a promising application for hydroponics as a new technique for production of safety vegetables with high yield and quality.