<![CDATA[Maize Black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds yet exhibits low genetic variability in nature due to vegetative propagation, posing a major challenge for the development of superior cultivars. Gamma-ray irradiation has been widely used as an effective mutation breeding technique to induce heritable genetic variation. Therefore, to provide new genetic resources for future breeding programs, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of gamma-ray irradiation on the morphological characteristics, physiological characteristics, and genetic diversity of black ginger. The study was conducted at the Green House and Plant Breeding Laboratory of Jenderal Soedirman University from June to December 2025 using a single-factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The treatments consisted of 7 irradiation dose levels (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 15 Gy) with five replications. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by a 5% LSD test, while molecular analysis was carried out using RAPD markers. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that gamma-ray irradiation significantly affected the morphological characteristics of black ginger, including plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, and leaf width, as well as the physiological characteristics, namely chlorophyll content and stomatal density (P < 0.05). Mean comparisons using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test further confirmed significant differences among the irradiation treatments. In addition, gamma-ray irradiation induced genetic variation, as revealed by RAPD marker analysis. Molecular analysis using three specific primers (OPA-01, OPB-02, and OPC-05) successfully detected polymorphism levels of up to 84.23%. Gamma-ray irradiation effectively induced genetic variation in black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora), as evidenced by changes in RAPD banding patterns and DNA polymorphism. These genetic variations, together with the observed morphological and physiological responses, indicate that gamma irradiation is an effective approach for broadening the genetic variability of black ginger and provides valuable genetic resources for future breeding programs.]]>
