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    - Radioisotopes are useful for studying the uptake and utilization of fertilizers by plants to determine the optimal amount of fertilizer to apply to soils. Excess fertilizer can damage the environment. Isotopes provide a means to determine how much fertilizer is taken up by plants and lost to the environment. - Radiation techniques are used to induce mutations in crop plants to develop varieties with desirable traits like increased yield, disease resistance, and quality improvements. This has led to the development and commercial production of many high-yielding crop varieties worldwide. - Food irradiation can control insect and parasite infestation, extend shelf life, and prevent spoilage of foods like seeds and canned goods. This reduces post-harvest food losses

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    - Radioisotopes are useful for studying the uptake and utilization of fertilizers by plants to determine the optimal amount of fertilizer to apply to soils. Excess fertilizer can damage the environment. Isotopes provide a means to determine how much fertilizer is taken up by plants and lost to the environment. - Radiation techniques are used to induce mutations in crop plants to develop varieties with desirable traits like increased yield, disease resistance, and quality improvements. This has led to the development and commercial production of many high-yielding crop varieties worldwide. - Food irradiation can control insect and parasite infestation, extend shelf life, and prevent spoilage of foods like seeds and canned goods. This reduces post-harvest food losses

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    Radioactivity and uses

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    - Radioisotopes are useful for studying the uptake and utilization of fertilizers by plants to determine the optimal amount of fertilizer to apply to soils. Excess fertilizer can damage the environment. Isotopes provide a means to determine how much fertilizer is taken up by plants and lost to the environment. - Radiation techniques are used to induce mutations in crop plants to develop varieties with desirable traits like increased yield, disease resistance, and quality improvements. This has led to the development and commercial production of many high-yielding crop varieties worldwide. - Food irradiation can control insect and parasite infestation, extend shelf life, and prevent spoilage of foods like seeds and canned goods. This reduces post-harvest food losses

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    33 views4 pages

    Scan Mar 28, 2019

    Uploaded by

    Prachee jena
    - Radioisotopes are useful for studying the uptake and utilization of fertilizers by plants to determine the optimal amount of fertilizer to apply to soils. Excess fertilizer can damage the environment. Isotopes provide a means to determine how much fertilizer is taken up by plants and lost to the environment. - Radiation techniques are used to induce mutations in crop plants to develop varieties with desirable traits like increased yield, disease resistance, and quality improvements. This has led to the development and commercial production of many high-yielding crop varieties worldwide. - Food irradiation can control insect and parasite infestation, extend shelf life, and prevent spoilage of foods like seeds and canned goods. This reduces post-harvest food losses

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    of 4

    2.

    Applications in Agriculture
    2.1. Plant nutrition studies
    Fertilizers are very expensive and their efficient use is of great importance to reduce
    the production cost of agricultural crops. It is essential that a maxirrum amount of
    fertilizer used during cultivation finds its way into the plant and that the minimum is
    lost. Radioisotopes are very useful in estimating the amount of phosphorus and
    nitrogen available in the soil. ll1is estimation helps in determining the anlOunt of
    phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers that should be applied to soil. Fertilizers labelled
    with radioactive isotopes such as phosphorus-32 and nitrogen-15 have been used to
    study the uptake. retention and utilization of fertilizers. Excessive use of fertilizers
    effects biodiversity and damages the environment. These isotopes provide a 1neans to
    determine about amount of fertilizer taken and lost to the environment by the plant
    insect and parasite infestation in harvested food to prevent various kinds of wastage
    and spoilage. Extension of shelf life of certain foods of a few days by irradiation is
    enough to save them from spoiling. Irradiation of food has potential to produce safe
    foods with long shelf life. Certain seeds and canned food can be stored for longer
    periods by gently exposing them to radiations. Food irradiation is energy-conserving
    when compared with conventional methods of preserving food to obtain a similar
    shelf-life (Wilkinson and Gould, 1996). It can alleviate the world's food shortage by
    reducing post-harvest losses. Food irradiation can replace or drastically reduce the use
    of food additives and fumigants which are hazardous for consumers as well as workers
    in food processing industries. lrradlal lon does ROI heal lhe food material so food keeps
    ils freshness in !Is physical slate. The agents which cause spo ilage (microbes, lnsecls.
    etc.) are eliminated by Irradiation from packaged food and packaging materials are
    impermeable to bacteria and Insects so recontamination does not take place. Irradiation
    of food kills insects and parasiles. inaclivate bacterial spores and moulds, prevent
    reproduction of microbes and insects, inhibit the sprouling of rool crops, delays
    ripening of fruits and improve technological properties of food. FDA has approved
    irradialion as a method to inhibil sprouting and to delay ripening in many fresh fruits
    and vegetables. Several steps were taken by the FAQ and IAEA division in close co-
    operation with the World Health Organization (WHO) to prornole international
    acceptance of irradiated food (WHO, 1988). The Joinl FAO/IAEA/WHO E,q,ert
    Committees on the Wholesomeness of Irradiated Food (1980) have evaluated the
    safety of irradiated foods for human consumption and concluded that the irradiation of
    any food up to an average dose of 10 kGy causes no toxicological hazard. Irradiation
    of food is controversial in many parts of the world (Diehl, 1993). World-wide
    introduction of food irradiation is necessary to enhance confidence among trading
    nations that foods irradiated in one country and offered for sale in anolher, have been
    subjected to commonly acceptable standards of wholesomeness, hygienic practice, and
    irradlalion lreatment control. Efforts and support from international organizations,
    governments, and the food industry will be needed for the introduclion of food
    lrradlalion on a lnaly commercial scale (Diehl. 1990). Some organlzalions and
    industries do not recognize lhis cheap and efficlenl food preservalion method. In the
    last 30 years of lesting of lrradialed foods, no harmful effects 10 animals or humans
    have been found so now attllude of relevanl organizations is changing and some
    Irradiated foods are being released for general consumplion. Many counlries have
    accorded clearance for gamma irradiation of food ilerns. The Na1ional Moniloring
    Agency (NMA) of Governrnenl of India has cleared radiation processing of onions,
    spices and frozen sea foods. In India lwo demonstration plants one al Vashi. Navi
    Mumbai and another at Lasalgaon, Nashik are providing irradiation service for
    processing of spices, onions and fruits (Sood et al., 2010).
    male insects compete with the regular male population during sexual reproduction and
    the eggs produced from their mating are infertile so they produce no offspring
    (Morrison el al .. 20!0). It Is highly specific form of "birth control which reduces and
    eliminates the Insect population after two or three generations. It has been efTec11vely
    utilized in elimination of Mediterranean fruit fly from US, Mexico and Chile and
    screw worm infestation in the US and Mexico (Klassen and Curtis. 2005; Wyss, 2000:
    Lindquist et al., 1992). It has been successfully used to eradicate several insect pests of
    agricultural significance throughout the world.

    2.3. Crop Improvement


    Plant breeding requires genetic vari<>tion of useful trails for crop improvement.
    Different types of radiation can be used to induce mutations to develop desired mutants
    line that are resistant to disease. are of higher quality. allow earlier ripening. and
    produce a higher yield. An initial auempl to induce mutations in plants was
    demonstrated by American Scientist L.J. Stadler in 1930 using X-rays. Later on,
    ganuna and neutron radiation were employed as ionizing radiations. This technique of
    utilizing radiation energy for inducing mutation in plants has been widely used to
    oblain desired or improved characters irl number of plant varieties. It offers the
    possibility of inducing desired characters that either cannot be found in nature or have
    been lost during evolution. A proper selection of mutant varieties can lead to improved
    quality and productivity.
    During last two decades. radiation-induced mutations have Increasingly
    contributed to the Improvement of crop plant varieties and II has become an established
    part of plant breeding methods. Radiation induced mutation experiments are showing
    promising results for improvement of cultivated crop varieties in many countries.
    Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed number of high yielding
    varieties of tur, green gram, black gram, groundnut, jute and rice by using radiation
    energy for inducing mutation (Sood et al., 2010). Crop varieties developed by using
    induced mutations have been found valuable by many national authorities so they have
    been released and approved for commerc;al production. Most of the groundnut and
    black gram grown in India are from muta~l varieties developed at BARC. There are
    many similar succes.~ful mutants in use In other countries, for example, high yielding
    mutant barleys which can utilize higher doses of fertilizer for increased grain
    production. Improved pearl millet line showing resistance to downy mildew disease
    was developed using irradiation treatment in India and is now grown over an area of
    several million hectares.

    2.4. Food processing and preservation


    Demand for instant food which is wholesome and which has a long shelf life is
    growing in both the developed and the developing countries. 25-30% of the world's
    food produce are lost due to spoilage by microbes and pest and these losses are more In
    developing countries. Thl~ loss of food can be avoided by employing efficient food
    preservation methods. Radiation can be used lo destroy microbes in food and control
    (Harderson, 1990). Nitrogen-IS also helps in assessment of nitrogen fixed by plants
    from the atmosphere under field conditions. IAEA develops and transfers techniques
    that use radioactive isotopes for measuring the nutrient uptake from various fertilizer
    sources with an aim to achieve higher and more stable grain yields by optimizing the
    uptake of nutrients from applied fertilizers (Zapata and Hera, 1995). Only small
    amount of fertilizer applied to the soil is taken up by the crop. The rest either remains
    in the soil or is lost through several processes. F AO and IAEA have jointly conducted
    several research programmes for the efficient use of radioactive isotopes for fertilizer
    management practices in important agricultural crops like wheat, rice and maize (Hera,
    1995).
    Study of soil characteristics is extremely valuable in devising effective methods of
    farming. Radioactive isotopes can be used as "tags· to monitor uptake and use of
    essential nutrients by plants from soil (IAEA. 1996). This technique allows scientists to
    measure the exact nutrient and water requirements of crop in particular conditions. A
    major factor in successful crop production is the presence of an adequate water supply.
    Nuclear moisture density gauges can monitor and determine the moisture content of
    soil so indicates the exact irrigation needs of a particular area. Nuclear science and
    technology have greatly facilitated such Investigations and are now being widely used
    In soil plant nutrition research to make the most efficient use of limited water sources.
    Ionizing radlaUon Is also used to stedlize lhe soil and there Is a good deal of current
    Interest In the use of radiation for the eradication of mic roorganisms In the soil which
    causes diseases and are harmful to plant life.

    2.2. lmec:t pest management


    Insect pests are responsible for significant reduction In production of agricultural crops
    throughout the world (Alphey, 2007) . Insect peslS are serious threat to agricuhural
    productivity. They not only reduce crop yields but also transmit disease to cultivated
    crops. Radiolabel pesticides were used to monitor the persistence of their residues in
    food items, soil ground water and environment. These studies have helped to trace and
    minimize the side effects of pesticides and insecticides. There are concerns that
    contirwous uses of pesticides have negative impacts on the environment and It also
    results into development of resistance against pesticides in many insect species
    (ANBP, 2005). Moreover, pesticides not only kill target species but also many other
    beneficial pest species responsible for maintaining natural ecological balance in the
    crop fields.
    IAEA is using nuclear science to develop environmentally friendly alternatives for
    pest control. FAO and IAEA division jointly sponsors projects and conducts research
    on control of insects using ionizing radiations. They have placed considerable
    emphasis on the Sterile Insect Technique (Sil) proposed by Knipling in 1955
    (Knipling, 1955). This technique relies on application of ionizing radiation as a means
    to effectively sterilize male insects without affecting their ability to function in the
    field and successfully mate with wild female insects. This technique involves release
    of large numbers of sterile male insects of the target species in the field crop. Sterile

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