Abstract
${\gamma}-Radiation$ at very low doses frequently has a stimulating or hormetic effect on the growth of organism. Effects of low dose ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiation on the root growth of soybean cultivars were investigated and hormetic effects by environmental conditions were compared with the occurrence of increased economic yield, seeds of cultivars were irradiated with the dose of $0.5{\sim}20Gy$ and cultivated in growth chamber controling temperature, humidity, light, greenhouse and field respectively. To understand hormetic effect on root growth of cultivars and the difference of hormetic effect by cultivation environment, harvested root of soybean cultivars were scanned with image file, and root surface area, root length, root average diameter etc. were examined by WinRhizo program. Also, dry weight of cultivars was examined. Root growth and dry weight of soybean cultivars showed apparently hormetic effect at cultivation of growth chamber condition. In field experiment executed for whole life cycle, yields of pea were not different significantly in each ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiated cultivars but weight of one hundred peas increased in whole ${\gamma}-ray$ irradiated cultivars. Increment of yield was assumed to be induced through shortening of maturing stage caused by ${\gamma}-ray$ hormesis in early growth stage.