Application of atomic energy in agriculture

European Union

Description

Annual report 1966
Nuclear energy and safety
Agricultural and fisheries research
Target audience: Scientific

Sujets

• Primary sector of the economy
• Ionizing radiation
• Nuclear power
• Annual report
• EAEC
• Irradiation
• Sciences et techniques

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-UNION
• Nombre de lectures: 49
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 27 Mo

Extrait

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ASSOCIATION
European Atomic Energy Community - EURATOM
Instituut voor Toepassing van Atoomenergie in de Landbouw - ITAL
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APPLICATION OF
ATOMIC ENERGY IN AGRICULTURE
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Association No. 003­61­4 ΒΙΑΝ
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LEGAL NOTICE
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Printed by Guyot, s.a.
Brussels, August 1967
This document was reproduced on the basis of the best available copy.
■fc*?i EUR 3606 e
ASSOCIATION
European Atomic Energy Community - EURATOM
Instituut voor Toepassing van Atoomenergie in de Landbouw - ITAL
APPLICATION OF
ATOMIC ENERGY IN AGRICULTURE
(Annual Report 1966)
PAI EL'RCP. Bibliotk
Association No. 003-61-4 ΒΙΑΝ SUMMARY
The research activities of the EURATOM-ITAL Association were directed
in 1966 to the application of atomic energy to agriculture.
They were carried out at the Association's Institute in the Netherlands as
well as in other Institutes in the Community.
In addition to classical plant breeding experiments, studies were undertaken
to investigate the improvement of mutagenic efficiency and the analysis of
irradiation effects, as well as to assess the possibilities offered by irradiation
for food preservation. Related physical problems were also investigated. The
behaviour of specific nuclides in plants and soils as well as the development
and improvement of nuclear techniques for agricultural research have also
formed part of the activities of the Association.
KEYWORDS
AGRICULTURE
PLANTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
PRESERVATION
FOOD
IRRADIATION
ENVIRONMENT
SOILS
RADIOISOTOPES
USES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BETA DETECTION
DOSEMETERS
Crops C O N T E N T S
page
Introduction 1
Research activities 3
Radiation effects on plants
Mutation breeding 5
Irradiation as a tool for increasing variabi­
lity and producing desirable mutants
Other aspects of irradiation as a tool for
increasing variability in higher plants 15
Improvement of the mutagenic efficiency9
Éfficiency of different mutagenic agents
Dose and dose rate relationship 23
Stage sensitivity and chimerism5
Studies devoted specifically to the chimera
problem 30
Influence of biological factors on irradia­
tion effects
Influence of environmental factors on irra­
diation effects8
Analysis of the irradiation effect 39
Cytologicai investigations
Geneticals 45
Physiologicals7
Culture techniques 50
Preservation of food by means of radiation 52
Related physical studies9
Dosimetry
Micro-beam irradiation 61
ß-measurement system with semiconductor detect­
ors 62 II,
page
The behaviour of specific nuclides in plants and
soils 63
Studies on foliar and root uptake in bean
plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) 6
Studies on calcium uptake by leaves and roots
of oat plants6
In vivo localization of ß-emitting isotopes by-
energy absorption 68
Soil studies
Nuclear techniques in agricultural research 70
Other activities 75
Publications7
Appendix I Meetings, symposia and study visits .... 83 x II Board of governors and advisors 8
Appendix III List of staff 86 INTRODUCTION
The research activities of the Association EURATOM ­ ITAL have
in 1966, as in previous years, dealt with problems concerned
with the application of atomic energy in agriculture in an ef­
fort to improve crop production and food storage.
Investigations were carried out at the Association's Institute
in the Netherlands as well as in a number of laboratories and
institutes within the European Community. Although geographic­
ally distributed in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the
Netherlands, scientists involved in the research programme
have either carried out joint projects or pursued complemen­
tary individual research keeping in close touch with their
colleagues interested in similar investigations.
Obviously, research topics and methods used have been chosen
in relation to the scope of the Association and the facilities
available. At its Institute, these include a neutron irradia­
tion facility consisting of an environmental controlled plant
growth room under the core of a 100 KV reactor, the 'BARN'
(Biological and Agricultural Reactor Netherlands); two γ­irra­
diation facilities, a 3OO Ci Cs137 greenhouse and a 5OOO Ci
Cs'37 indoor γ­field placed at the center of 4 separate rooms
totalling 140 m2 controlled environment area for plant growth,
as well as a 250 KeV X­ray machine and a 2 MeV 'Van de Graaff'
electron generator. Twelve controlled environment rooms for
plant growth and 4 controlled temperature rooms are also
available.
This report of research activities in the past year has been
subdivided for easy reference into the main aspects of invest­
igation i.e. mutation breeding per se; investigations design­
ed to improve the mutagenic efficiency of the treatments used}
analysis of irradiation effects; preservation of food by means
of irradiations, and, physical studies related to the above
investigations. The influence of environmental factors on
crop production has been considered from the soil and plant
points of view. Finally improvements in nuclear techniques
which could contribute to the accuracy or speed of determi­
nation of these studies with radioisotopes have been consider­
ed.
In 1966, meetings arranged at the Association's Institute
have been attended by scientists from Belgium, France, Germany,
Italy and the Netherlands involved in the Association's pro­
gramme on mutation breeding and related genetical studies.
A meeting on plant­soil relations has dealt mainly with pro­
blems involved in foliar uptake and gathered, besides scien­
tists from the Association and their colleagues from the EURATOM Biology Division at Ispra, Italy, others from Prance,
Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United
States of America.
Members of the staff of the Association or its subcontract­
ing partners have participated to a number of national or
international meetings and working groups.
A list .of subcontracts, of meetings attended and study visits
made as well as the names and addresses of scientists are
given as appendices to the present report.
The presentation and lay-out aims at allowing an easy refer­
ence of activities and recent results obtained by scientists
involved in the research programme of the Association EUR­
ATOM - ITAL. Although grouped on subject and material used
results of various scientists have been kept purposely sepa­
rate, unless the project was carried out jointly, to allow
direct exchanges with readers. When more than one name is
mentioned in the margin the order does not infer any senior­
ity and contacts could be made to any of them.
It is hoped that such reporting in a somewhat more detailed
fashion than usually done will foster exchanges of ideas
and results between scientific readers. 3 -
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
RADIATION=EPPECTS=ON_PLANTS
The use of radiations to improve agricultural and horticultural
plants as well as storage possibilities of raw or processed
food have again been the aims of investigations carried out
by the Association EURATOM - ITAL in this facet of its re­
search activity.
Mutation breeding per se has considered desirable characters
such as yield increase, disease resistance and earliness in
agricultural crops while colour and flower shapes have been
selected as positive criteria in ornamentals. The removal
of cross barriers as well as the promotion of heterosis
events between different species has also formed part of
this aspect of increasing breeding potential.
The study of factors which may increase or alter irradiation
effects thereby offering larger possibilities for mutation
breeding form the second facet of studies in t