The Application of

Nuclear Technology in
Agriculture and Food
Diana Florentius
Sh.Sharanoor binti Omar

(MP1512090T)
(MP1512413T)

INTRODUCTION
Generally, it is believed that nuclear
energy is used for destructive purposes
only.
But, in fact, it has more positive uses than
its negative uses.
Basically atom is the source of nuclear
energy. This energy is released by splitting
of a nuclei into two

Applications Of Nuclear Energy

Electric
Power
Generation

Food and
Agricultur
e
Scientific
Research

NUCLEAR
ENERGY

Consumer
Products

Medicine

Space

Industrial
Applications

HISTORY OF FOOD PRESERVATION

Old Methods

Drying
Fermentin
g
Salting
Smoking

Refrigeration
Freezing
Canning
Preservatives

Latest
Methods:

Several energy sources can be

used to irradiate food

Electron beams
(flat, evenly sized foods )

Gamma Rays
X-rays.

HOW DOES FOOD

IRRADIATION WORK?
Exposing the food to
the gamma rays of
cobalt-60
The energy form the
gamma ray passing
through the food is
enough to destroy
many
diseasecausing bacteria as
well as those that
cause food to spoil
But, it is not strong to
change the quality,

HISTORY
OF FOOD
IRRADIATION
History/
Chronology
1960- Approved for potatoes
by Canada

1963- First FDA approval for

insect control in wheat flour

1964- Dehydrated vegetable

seasoning

1986-

Fruit

and

vegetable

ripening

1990-

Fresh
and
frozen
poultry to control salmonella
and other pathogens.

IRRADIATE FOOD...

 Even after it has been packaged, gamma

rays can be used to kill bacteria, mould
and insects in food.

This process prolongs the shelf-life of the

food

What Food are Radiated?

Herbs
Spices
Herbal infusions
Fruits
Vegetables

FOOD IRRADIATION
APPLICATIONS
Low dose
(up to 1
kGy)

Potatoes,
onions, garlic,
ginger, yam
Insect and parasite Cereals, fresh
fruit, dried
disinfestation
foods
Fresh fruit,
Delay ripening
vegetables

Inhibition of
sprouting

Medium
Extend shelf life
dose (1-10
kGy)

Halt spoilage, kill

Fish,
strawberries,
mushrooms
Seafood,
poultry, meat

DISADVANTAGE OF FOOD
IRRADIATION
It can only be used on a very
limited range of foods. (fresh milk,
margarine, star fruit)
It is still a relatively expansive
technology. (high cleanup costs)
Vitamin E levels can be reduced by
25% after irradiation and vitamin
C by 5-10%.
It is ineffectively against viruses.

 Play video
Using Nuclear Science in Food Irradiat
ion.flv

THE USE OF NUCLEAR

TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE
1. Fertilisers
Fertilisers are expensive and if not properly
used can damage the environment.
It is important that as much of the fertiliser
as possible finds its way into plants and that
a minimum is lost to the environment.
Fertilisers 'labelled' with a particular isotope,
such as nitrogen-15 and phosphorus-32
provide a means of finding out how much is
taken up by the plant and how much is lost,
allowing better management of fertiliser
application.

EXAMPLE OF AGRICULTURAL
APPLICATIONS: RADIOACTIVE
TRACERS

THE USE OF NUCLEAR

TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE
2. Increasing Genetic Variability (Plant
Breeding)
Exposing plants to radiation is sometimes called
radiation breeding.
It was discovered in the 1920s when Lewis
Stadler (University Missouri) used x-rays on
maize and barley.
Mutation breeding is commonly used to produce
traits in crops such as larger seeds, new colors or
sweeter fruits that either cannot be found in
nature or have been lost during evolution.

Procedure of breeding with the usage of gamma

radiation and adventitious buds method of
regeneration in in vitro cultures

THE USE OF NUCLEAR

TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

3. INSECTS CONTROL
Crop losses caused by insects may
amount to more than 10% of the total
harvest worldwide
Some insects have become resistant to
the
chemicals
used,
and
some
insecticides leave poisonous residues on
the crops. One solution has been the use
of sterile insects.

The Sterile Insect

Technique (SIT)
It involves rearing large numbers of male
insects with gamma radiation before hatching,
to sterilise them.
The sterile males are then released in large
numbers in the infested areas to compete with
wild fertile males for mature female insects.
When they mate with females, no offspring are
produced. With repeated releases of sterilised
males, the population of the insect pest in the
project area is drastically reduced
These pests included the Mediterranean fruit fly
and the screwworm fly.