[ RadSafe ] Atomic gardening: Day of the irradiated peanuts

[Thompson, Dewey L]

There is an experiment we do with the Local Boy Scout Troops when we do the Nuclear Energy Merit Badge:  

Take garden beans that have been irradiated:  One set with no dose, one set at 80 Gray (8,000 Rad), and the third set at 160 Gray (16,000 Rad).

The experimenter plants three test pots and observes the growth.  The set irradiated at 80 Gray always has the most vigorous growth and best yield.

I have attached a PDF of a paper originally from the Soviet Union that was the basis of the experiment.  


Dewey  

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : 
DEWEY THOMPSON 
Staff HP
Radiation Protection Department
T 314.225.1061
F 573.676.4484
E DThompson3 at ameren.com
.........................


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2011 10:54 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Atomic gardening: Day of the irradiated peanuts

According to my reading, irradiating seeds (to certain levels that I
don't recall) does produce better germination rates, which lead to
better crop yields, not by creating mutations but by killing pathogens
in the form of bacterial and fungal spores on the seeds.  That is the
basis for irradiated fruit and vegetables lasting longer than the
control groups.  

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Harry Reynolds
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 12:47 PM
To: parthasarathy k s; The International RadiationProtection (Health
Physics) Mailing List; radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Atomic gardening: Day of the irradiated peanuts

Somewhere in the long ago and far away I remember reports of China
irradiating seeds with the results producing better germination and crop
yield.

Harry`

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of parthasarathy
k s
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 9:55 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing
List; radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Atomic gardening: Day of the irradiated peanuts

Dear Mr Dawson,

Thank you very much for the New Scientist essay describing, the history
of mutation breeding. This is one area where India made gigantic
strides. The following URL gives an idea about the developments in
mutation breeding, food irradiation and agricultural applications of
modern technology in India:
http://www.barc.ernet.in/rcaindia/4_1.html

Regards
Parthasarathy





________________________________
From: Fred Dawson GoogleMail <fred.wp.dawson at googlemail.com>
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
Sent: Friday, 10 June 2011, 16:18
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Atomic gardening: Day of the irradiated peanuts