Nuclear uses in agriculture

Luis Eduardo Estrada

ME337D

Main uses

Food irradiation

Plant breeding

Soil and water studies

Insect / pest control

Food Irradiation

Gamma, x-ray and beta particle irradiation

Preserves meat and produce for longer periods of time by eliminating bacteria and microorganisms.

Plant breeding

Modify the genetic makeup of seeds to achieve different strains of genetically enhanced plants.

Achieve higher yield, high climate tolerance, faster growth, immunity against pests.

Plant breeding cont.

Develop saline-tolerant rice varieties.

Development of disease-tolerant bananas

Higher yield crops for corn, wheat, soy, etc.

Genetically induced changes in the size of

many fruits.

Soil and water studies

Fertilizer intake tracing by isotope ratio detection ( 15-N, 13-C, 34-S, 18-O)

1. Allows for better fertilizer use to achieve biggest intake with least amount of fertilizer

Water intake measurements by isotope ratio detection (18-O and deuterium)

1. Detects intake source and quantity.

Insect / pest control

Sterile Insect Technique (SIT)

1. Used as suppression, containment and prevention techniques.

Works by irradiating large amounts of the target insect with gamma or beta radiation to make it sterile.

Released to the environment so they mate without releasing offspring.

Great reduction in need of pesticides.

Myths

Irradiated food is radioactive

Genetically enhanced food is unnatural and dangerous

Sterile Insect technique makes the pests radioactive.