Radiation Application in Food and Agriculture The 3 Major areas where ionizing radiation is used in agriculture are: Mutation

n plant breeding Food Irradiation Sterile insect technique. Mutation plant breeding Plant breeding aims at improving the crop quality but improving the heredity through the cross hybridization technique. In plants mutations can be artificially incused by mutagenic agents and there utilization for production of new superior varieties of species from traditional variety. New crop varieties with improved Characteristics can be produced using gamma radiation in combination with tissue culture technique and related biotechnology. Food Irradiation

This is a safe physical means of food processing and preservation similar to methods such as refrigeration, freezing, canning and heat treatment. This is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to destroy micro organisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Irradiation is known as a cold process. It does not significantly increase the temperature or change the physical or sensory characteristics of most foods. Irradiation is most useful in four areas: Preservation. Irradiation can be used to destroy or inactivate organisms that cause spoilage and decomposition, thereby extending the shelf life of foods. It is an energy-efficient food preservation method that has several advantages over traditional canning. The resulting products are closer to the fresh state in texture, flavor, and color. Sterilization. Foods that are sterilized by irradiation can be stored for years without refrigeration just like canned foods. With irradiation it will be possible to develop new shelfstable products. Control sprouting, ripening, and insect damage. In this role, irradiation offers an alternative to chemicals for use with potatoes, tropical and citrus fruits, grains, spices, and seasonings. Control food borne illness. Irradiation can be used to effectively eliminate those pathogens that cause food borne illness, such as Salmonella. Sterile Insect Technique

This nuclear technique is used to control the reproduction of pest that destroys fruits and vegetables crops. A method of biological control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released. The released insects are normally male as it is the female that causes the damage, usually by laying eggs in the crop, or, in the case of mosquitoes, taking a blood meal from humans. Insects are mostly sterilized with radiation, which might weaken the newly sterilized insects, if doses are not correctly applied, making them less able to compete with wild males. Prepared by: Hazel Anne M. Balbin IV-Rizal